S0&  OF  PRINCf^ 


^OtOGiCAL  St*^ 


a 

BS   491    .N53   41 

Salmond,    S.   D.    F. 

St.   Mark 

The  following  is  the  arrangement  of  the  volumes, 
comprising  the  New   Testament. 

i.  MATTHEW,  by  Prof.  W.  F.  Slater,  M.A. 

2.  MARK,  by  Principal  Salmond,  D.D. 

3.  LUKE,  by  Prof.  W.  F.  Adeney,  M.A.,  D.D. 

4.  JOHN,  by  the  Rev.  J.  A.  McClymont,  D.D. 

5.  ACTS,  by  Prof.  J.  Vernon  Bartlet,  M.A. 

6.  ROMANS,  by  the  Rev.  A.  E.  Garvie,  M.A.,  B.D. 

7.  I  and  II  CORINTHIANS,  by  Prof.  J.  Massie,  M.A.,  D.D. 

8.  PHILIPPIANS,   EPHESIANS,  COLOSSIANS,   PHI- 

LEMON, by  the  Rev.  G.  Currie  Martin,  M.A.,  B.D. 

9.  I  and  II  THESSALONIANS,  GALATIANS,  by  Prof. 

W.  F.  Adeney,  M.A.,  D.D. 

10.  THE   PASTORAL    EPISTLES,    by  the  Rev.   R.  F. 

Horton,  M.A.,  D.D. 

11.  HEBREWS,  by  Prof.  A.  S.  Peake,  M.A. 

12.  THE  GENERAL  EPISTLES,  by  Prof.W.  H.  Bennett, 

Litt.D.,D.D. 

13.  REVELATION,  by  the  Rev.  C.  Anderson    Scott, 

M.A. 


THE  NEW-CENTURY  BIBLE 

ST.  MARK 


General  Editor:  Prof.  W.  F.  Adeney,  D.D. 


&U  (Tttarft 


INTRODUCTION 

AUTHORIZED  VERSION 

REVISED   VERSION   WITH    NOTES 

INDEX  AND  MAP 


EDITED  by 
V 


S.  D.  F.  SALMOND,  D.D.,  F.E.I.S. 

PRINCIPAL   OF    THE    UNITED    FREE    CHURCH    COLLEGE,    ABERDEEN 


NEW  YORK:  HENRY  FROWDE 

OXFORD    UNIVERSITY    PRESS,    AMERICAN    BRANCH 

EDINBURGH:   T.  C.  &  E.  C.  JACK 


The  Revised  Version  is  printed  by  permission  of  the 
Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Editor's  Introduction  .......  i 

Text  of  the  Authorized  Version        .         .  50 

Text  of  the  Revised  Version  with  Annotations      .  105 

Index 373 

MAP 

Orographical  Map  of  Galilee    .         .         .         Facing  Title 


THE  GOSPEL  OF  ST.   MARK 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  GOSPEL  OF  ST.   MARK 


INTRODUCTION 

1 A  succession  of  pictures  in  which  a  painter  represents  / 
a  complete  history.'  This  description  of  the  first  three 
Gospels  very  fairly  expresses  what  they  are,  and  how  they 
differ  from  the  Fourth  Gospel  with  its  greater  unity  and 
more  finished  plan.  They  tell  their  story  by  pictures, 
and  they  are  themselves  a  series  of  portraits  exhibiting  ! 
their  great  subject  in  so  many  different  aspects.  In  this 
series  the  one  that  occupies  the  second  place  in  the 
canonical  order  to  which  we  are  accustomed  was,  in 
all  probability,  the  first  in  the  actual  order  of  production.  | 
That  Mark's  Gospel  is  the  ground-sketch  of  the  evangel-  ' 
ical  narratives  is  the  opinion  now  generally  entertained 
by  scholars,  and  this  means  that  it  is  looked  at  now  from 
a  new  point  of  view.  The  change  of  sentiment  which  has 
taken  place  on  the  subject  of  the  Second  Gospel  is  indeed 
one  of  the  most  notable  facts  in  the  history  of  New 
Testament  studies  in  our  own  day.  In  ancient  times 
little  was  made  of  this  Gospel  in  comparison  with  the 
others.  Its  genius  was  not  sufficiently  understood.  Its 
value  was  not  adequately  recognized.  Even  the  great 
Augustine  could  speak  of  Mark  as  only  the  'follower 
and  abbreviator  of  Matthew,'  and  while  many  pious  and 
learned  minds  occupied  themselves  with  the  preparation 
of  careful  expositions  of  the  other  three,  few  seem  to  have 
done  a  similar  service  to  this  shortest  of  the  Gospels.  It 
was  never  held  in  anything  else  than  honour  indeed,  but 
until  recent  times  it  was  dealt  with  as  if  of  subordinate  ) 
importance. 

E    2 


4  ST.  MARK 

Now,  however,  it  is  better  appreciated.  It  is  seen  to 
have  a  very  distinct  character,  and  to  stand  in  a  remark- 
able relation  to  the  other  Gospels  :  its  simplicity,  the  plain 
objective  view  which  it  gives  of  events,  the  vivid  way  in 
which  it  tells  its  story,  the  things  in  it  which  bespeak  for 
it  a  very  early  date,  make  it  a  narrative,  it  is  perceived, 
of  singular  interest  and  very  special  worth.  Much  depends 
upon  the  estimate  we  form  of  it  and  the  way  in  which  we 
use  it.  Everything  relating  to  it — its  age  and  its  author- 
ship, its  sources  and  its  plan,  the  place  where  it  was 
written,  the  readers  for  whom  it  was  intended,  its  peculiar 
qualities,  the  points  of  contact  which  it  has  with  the  other 
Gospels,  the  particulars  in  which  it  differs  from  them — 
has  a  claim  upon  our  attention.  Unless  we  begin  with 
this  Gospel  according  to  Mark  and  study  well  its  goodly 
words,  we  shall  not  be  in  the  right  position  for  looking 
into  the  face  of  him  who  is  the  central  figure  in  the 
holy  quaternion  of  the  Gospels. 

i.  Its  Place  in  the  Ancient  Church. 

We  have  a  chain  of  witnesses  connecting  this  Gospel 
with  the  earliest  times,  and  speaking  to  the  position  which 
it  had  in  the  ancient  Church.  There  is  historical  testi- 
mony sufficient  to  entitle  us  to  say  that  it  was  in  circula- 
tion by  the  middle  of  the  second  century,  and  that  by  the 
last  quarter  of  that  century  it  had  an  established  place. 
It  is  found  in  the  oldest  of  our  Greek  manuscripts,  and 
the  state  of  the  readings  indicates  that  the  text  must 
have  been  in  existence  for  a  length  of  time  before  it  was 
transcribed  in  these  manuscripts.  It  appears  in  the  most 
ancient  versions  of  the  New  Testament — Old  Latin,  Syriac, 
and  Egyptian,  and  in  the  early  lists  of  canonical  books 
which  have  come  down  to  us  from  both  sides  of  the 
Church,  Eastern  and  Western.  There  is  little  evidence 
of  its  existence,  it  is  true,  in  the  writings  of  the  Apostolic 
Fathers.    For  the  most  part  these  are  silent  on  the  subject 


INTRODUCTION  5 

or  are  of  uncertain  import.  All  that  can  be  said  of  them, 
then,  is  that  it  is  possible  Mark's  Gospel  may  be  referred 
to  in  some  free  quotations  in  Clement  of  Rome,  the  Epistle 
of 'Barnabas,  and  Polycarp's  Letter  to  the  Philippians ;  and 
that  it  is  probably  recognized  in  the  Shepherd  of  Her  mas 
(perhaps  about  130  a.  d.)  and  the  writings  of  Justin 
Martyr  (140-160  A.  D.).  In  Hennas,  e.g.  we  find  words 
which  recall  the  sentence  peculiar  to  Mark,  'guilty  of 
an  eternal  sin '  (iii.  29).  Justin,  again,  speaks  of  James 
and  John  as  '  Boanerges,  which  is,  Sons  of  thunder,' 
and  of  Christ  as  'the  carpenter,'  as  only  Mark  does 
(iii.  17,  vi.  3). 

When  we  come  to  Irenaeus,  Bishop  of  Lyons,  however, 
we  have  a  witness  not  only  comparatively  early  (1 15-190 
A.  D.),  but  copious  and  unambiguous.  He  has  much  to 
say  both  of  the  writer  and  of  the  book.  He  gives  a 
number  of  passages  in  the  exact  terms  of  the  Gospel,  and 
quotes  the  opening  verse  as  Mark's.  We  have  similar 
testimonies,  more  or  less  definite,  in  Athenagoras,  the 
Muratorian  Canon,  Hippolytus,  Tertullian,  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  Eusebius  the  Church  Historian,  &c,  extend- 
ing from  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century  to  the  early 
part  of  the  fourth.  From  various  sources  we  gather  also 
that  the  Second  Gospel  was  known  to  the  Gnostic  and 
other  early  heretical  schools.  It  is  further  to  be  noticed 
that  this  Gospel  has  always  a  place  in  the  list  of  the  four 
Gospels  when  such  are  mentioned.  The  description  of 
the  Gospel  as  'the  fourfold  Gospel'  takes  us  back  to 
Irenasus,  and  in  all  probability  to  a  still  earlier  period ; 
while  the  idea  of  harmonizing  the  various  narratives, 
and  the  formation  of  extended  harmonies  of  the  Gospels, 
come  into  clear  view  at  least  by  the  time  of  Tatian  the 
Assyrian  (a  contemporary  of  Justin),  and  have  probably 
to  be  recognized  as  of  older  date  still.  In  all  these 
connexions  Mark's  Gospel  makes  one  of  the  four.  Nor  is 
there  any  reason  to  suppose  that  when  it  is  referred  to 
or  used  any  other  writing  is  intended  than  the  one  that 


6  ST.  MARK 

has  come  down  to  us.  Some  indeed  have  imagined  that 
our  canonical  Mark  is  not  the  original  Mark,  but  a  second 
form  constructed  on  the  basis  of  a  still  more  primitive 
record.  But  there  is  no  mention  of  any  such  archetype  or 
primary  edition  in  ancient  literature,  nor  do  the  facts  pre- 
sented by  the  Gospel,  as  we  have  it,  require  us  to  regard 
it  as  a  secondary  version  of  a  simpler  narrative. 

2.  The  Question  of  Authorship. 

This  Gospel  is  anonymous.  It  says  nothing  of  its 
origin.  It  gives  little  or  no  indication,  direct  or  indirect, 
of  the  hand  that  composed  it.  In  determining  its  author- 
ship we  have  to  depend  on  tradition,  and  that  connects 
it  with  two  names — Mark  and  Peter. 

Not  a  few  of  the  testimonies  which  speak  of  the 
circulation  of  this  writing  also  speak  of  its  author  as 
Mark.  Who  then  is  this  Mark?  The  disciple,  it  is 
replied,  who  appears  under  that  name  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment as  well  as  in  early  Christian  literature.  The  person 
in  view,  however,  is  not  called  uniformly  by  that  name  in 
the  New  Testament,  neither  are  the  statements  regarding 
him  outside  that  limit  all  of  one  piece.  In  the  New 
Testament  itself,  too,  he  appears  in  relation  both  to  Peter 
and  to  Paul,  as  is  the  case  also  with  the  later  writings. 
And  there  is  the  further  peculiarity  that  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment his  connexion  is  mostly  with  Paul,  and  his  relation  to 
Peter  is  subsidiary  ;  while  in  tradition  he  is  associated 
chiefly  with  Peter,  and  his  relation  to  Paul  passes  into  the 
background.  Hence  some  have  thought  that  we  have 
to  reckon  with  three  different  Marks,  while  others  have 
contended  for  the  existence  of  at  least  two— one  who  was 
the  special  companion  of  Paul,  and  another  who  was  the 
particular  associate  of  Peter.  But  it  is  the  general  view 
that  the  various  references,  however  different  in  terms, 
are  to  one  and  the  same  person.  The  conditions  of  the 
case,  especially  when  it  is  seen  that  in  Barnabas  we  have 


INTRODUCTION  7 

the  link  of  connexion  between  the  two  apostles  in  the 
story  of  Mark,  do  not  require  us  to  assume  the  existence 
of  more  than  one  of  that  name. 

On  this  supposition  we  know  something,  though  not 
much,  of  the  reputed  author  of  this  Gospel.  He  is  the 
person  who  is  sometimes  called  simply  Mark  or  Marcus 
(Acts  xv.  39;  Col.  iv.  10;  2  Tim.  iv.  11;  Philem.  24; 
1  Pet.  v.  13),  sometimes  John  (Acts  xiii.  5,  13),  sometimes 
*  John  whose  surname  was  Mark '  (Acts  xii.  25)  or  'John, 
who  was  called  Mark'  (Acts  xv.  37).  In  the  Gospel  itselt 
there  is,  as  we  have  said,  no  explicit  reference  to  him, 
some  indeed  have  imagined  him  to  be  the  '  man  bearing 
a  pitcher  of  water '  who  is  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
the  preparation  for  the  passover  (ch.  xiv.  13),  and  others 
have  identified  him  with  the  young  man  who  followed 
Jesus  on  the  night  of  the  betrayal  '  having  a  linen  cloth 
cast  about  him,  over  his  naked  body'*  (ch.  xiv.  51,  52). 
There  is  some  plausibility  in  the  latter  supposition,  for 
the  episode  is  chronicled  only  in  this  Gospel,  and  if  it 
concerns  only  some  person  unknown  it  is  not  easy  to  see 
why  it  should  have  been  brought  in.  But  if  the  writer 
of  the  Gospel  is  himself  the  young  man  in  view,  we  can 
understand  why  the  incident  should  have  got  a  place  in 
the  narrative.  For  he  must  have  remembered  it  with 
a  vivid  personal  interest  which  would  make  it  natural  for 
him  to  record  it. 

Be  it  as  it  may,  however,  with  these  uncertain  specula- 
tions regarding  certain  words  of  the  Gospel,  we  get  some 
reliable  information  from  the  Book  of  Acts  and  the  Epistles. 
In  Acts  Mark  comes  before  us  first  in  connexion  with  the 
story  of  Peter's  deliverance  (ch.  xii.  12).  We  see  that  he 
was  the  son  of  a  certain  Mary,  a  believer,  a  lady  of  some 
means  and  station,  as  we  judge,  who  had  a  house  in 
Jerusalem  to  which  Christians  gathered  for  prayer  and 
to  which  the  Apostle  at  once  turned.  He  is  next  men- 
tioned as  having  been  taken  by  Barnabas  and  Saul  on 
their  return  to   Antioch,  after   their  visit  to   Jerusalem 


8  ST.  MARK 

with  the  relief  sent  by  the  disciples  to  the  distressed 
brethren  in  Judaea  (ch.  xii.  25).  Then  we  see  him  accom- 
panying Barnabas  and  Paul  as  '  their  attendant '  on  their 
first  missionary  journey,  but  breaking  off  from  them  at 
Perga  in  Pamphylia  and  returning  to  Jerusalem,  while 
they  went  on  to  the  Pisidian  Antioch  (ch.  xiii.  3,  13,  14). 
We  are  not  told  why  he  took  this  step.  Hence  some 
have  regarded  his  departure  at  this  point  as  a  culpable 
defection  due  to  timidity  or  lukewarmness,  while  others 
have  found  an  excuse  for  it  in  concern  for  his  mother,  or 
in  a  change  in  the  programme  of  the  journey  originally 
contemplated  and  agreed  to  by  him.  In  any  case  it  so 
offended  Paul,  or  shook  his  confidence  in  his  former 
'  attendant,5  that,  though  Barnabas  wished  to  take  Mark 
with  them  again  when  it  was  proposed  to  revisit  the 
churches,  he  refused  to  have  him,  and  a  'sharp  contention' 
arose  which  separated  the  friends.  Barnabas  took  Mark 
with  him  and  sailed  to  Cyprus,  while  Paul  chose  Silas 
as  his  companion  and  went  through  Syria  and  Cilicia 
(ch.  xv.  36-41).  This  estrangement,  however,  was  after- 
wards healed,  and  Mark  reappears  in  a  different  aspect 
in  the  story  of  Paul's  later  career.  He  is  with  Paul  at 
the  time  of  his  first  Roman  imprisonment  (Col.  iv.  10; 
Philem.  24) ;  and  in  his  second  imprisonment  the  Apostle, 
left  alone  but  for  Luke,  asks  Timothy  to  bring  Mark  with 
him  as  one  'useful  to  him  for  ministering'  (2  Tim.  iv.  11). 
From  other  references  to  him  in  the  New  Testament  we 
gather  that  he  was  a  Jew  by  birth,  cousin  (not  '  sister's 
son')  of  Barnabas  (Col.  iv.  10);  and  that  he  stood  in 
a  peculiarly  close  relation  to  Peter,  the  latter  speaking 
of  him  as  his  'son'  in  the  sense  of  spiritual  convert,  it 
may  be,  or  at  least  in  that  of  dear  friend  (1  Pet.  v.  13). 

This  brief  account  of  the  author  of  the  Second  Gospel 
receives  a  great  enlargement  outside  the  New  Testament. 
There  he  is  described  as  an  evangelist,  as  Peter's  com- 
panion in  Rome,  as  sent  by  Peter  on  a  mission  into 
Egypt,  as  the  founder  of  the  Alexandrian  Church  and 


INTRODUCTION  9 

its  first  bishop ;  and  in  the  later  forms  of  the  tradition 
he  is  represented  as  suffering  cruel  martyrdom  at  Alexan- 
dria. The  place  where  he  was  supposed  to  be  buried 
became  a  favourite  shrine,  visited  by  multitudes  of  pilgrims 
for  centuries.  Early  in  the  ninth  century  his  reputed 
remains  were  removed  by  some  merchants  to  Venice. 
There  the  great  cathedral  church  was  built  in  his  honour. 
He  became  the  patron  saint  of  Venice,  and  the  emblem 
of  the  lion,  which  had  been  mistakenly  assigned  to  him 
by  Christian  art,  was  taken  as  the  armorial  ensign  of 
the  Venetian  Senate. 


3.    Relation  of  the  writer  to  Peter. 

Ancient  tradition,  however,  which  speaks  of  Mark  as 
author,  also  associates  him  with  Peter  in  the  composition 
of  the  Gospel.  The  tradition  is  very  old,  and  in  the  main 
points  remarkably  consistent.  It  goes  back  to  Papias,  and 
is  continued  by  Justin  Martyr,  Irenasus,  Clement  of  Alexan- 
dria, Hippolytus,  Tertullian,  Origen,  Eusebius,  Epiphanius, 
Jerome,  &c.  It  appears  in  different  forms,  at  first  simple, 
and  then  more  definite  and  more  complex.  In  Papias  the 
Presbyter  John  is  reported  as  speaking  of  Mark  as  Peter's 
hermeneut — a  term  of  uncertain  meaning,  taken  by  some 
in  the  sense  of  interftrete}'  or  dragoman,  by  others  rather 
in  the  sense  of  amanueiisis.  In  the  former  case  Mark's 
function  would  be  that  of  rendering  the  Apostle's  verna- 
cular Aramaic  into  Greek  ;  in  the  latter,  that  of  committing 
to  writing,  with  more  or  less  freedom,  oral  communications 
made  by  Peter.  On  the  same  authority  we  are  told  that 
he  wrote  down  the  things  that  he  remembered,  both  those 
said  and  those  done  by  Christ,  '  accurately,  not  however 
in  order ' ;  that  he  was  not  himself  a  hearer  of  the  Lord, 
but  owed  his  matter  to  Peter's  instructions,  which  were 
not  intended  to  give  a  connected  account  of  the  Lord's 
words  ;  and  that  he  was  careful  '  neither  to  omit  anything 
he   had  heard  nor  to  set  down  anything  false'  (Euseb. 


io  ST.  MARK 

Ch.  Hist.  iii.  39).  Irenaeus  also  says  of  Mark  that  he 
'  committed  to  writing  the  things  preached  by  Peter,' 
although  he  seems  to  represent  this  as  done  after  the  death 
of  Peter  and  Paul.  Clement  enlarges  this,  stating  that  when 
Peter  had  preached  in  Rome  many  urged  Mark  to  write 
down  what  had  been  thus  spoken,  and  that  Peter '  neither 
forbad  nor  encouraged  it.5  Eusebius  himself,  who  reports 
these  traditions  in  his  History  of  the  Church,  goes  farther, 
and  speaks  of  the  Apostle  as  confirming  ox  authorising  the 
writing  at  the  request  of  the  churches.  Finally,  Jerome 
describes  Mark  as  being  Peter's  interpreter  as  Titus  was 
Paul's,  and  refers  to  the  Gospel  as  composed  by  Peter 
narrating  and  Mark  writing.  The  tradition,  therefore, 
varies,  and  in  course  of  time  becomes  more  circumstantial 
and  precise.  But  the  general  view  which  it  gives  of  the 
Gospel  is  that  of  a  composition  written  by  Mark  on  the 
basis  of  notes  of  Peter's  discourses,  and  giving  a  faithful 
report  of  the  Apostle's  recollections  of  the  words  and  deeds 
of  the  Lord. 

The  facts  presented  by  the  Gospel  correspond  very 
fairly  with  this.  It  is  true  that  this  has  been  disputed. 
It  has  been  argued  that  the  writing  as  we  now  have  it 
does  not  answer  to  Papias's  description  ;  that  Mark's 
work  must  have  been  something  different  from  the  com- 
position which  now  bears  his  name,  something  less  orderly; 
and  that  behind  the  present  Mark  we  must  suppose  a  more 
primitive  record.  But  there  is  little  either  in  ancient 
testimony  or  in  the  book  itself  to  bear  out  these  sup- 
positions. Our  Gospel  has  not  the  appearance  of  being 
a  remodelled  literary  production,  and  it  is  hard  to 
understand  how  an  earlier  work  really  by  Mark  himself 
should  have  vanished  so  completely,  while  this  supposed 
secondary  form  has  survived.  Nor  can  it  be  said  that  the 
existing  Mark  contradicts  Papias's  description  of  the 
writing  as  'not  in  order.'  For  while  our  Gospel  has 
a  certain  arrangement,  it  does  not  amount  to  a  record 
of  events  in  their  exact  historical  succession.     There  is 


INTRODUCTION  n 

much  in  it,  on  the  other  hand,  that  fits  in  with  the  view  given 
of  it  by  tradition.  The  general  character  of  its  narrative, 
so  lifelike,  so  definite  and  assured  in  its  statements,  in  the 
case  even  of  small  things,  points  an  eye-witness  as  directly 
or  indirectly  its  author.  There  are  many  touches  in  it  that 
indicate  first-hand  knowledge,  and  such  first-hand  know- 
ledge as  Peter  would  have.  It  alone  tells  us  that  '  Simon 
and  they  that  were  with  him  followed  after '  Jesus  when  he 
withdrew  to  a  solitary  place  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry 
(ch.  i.  36) ;  that  it  was  Peter  who  called  the  Lord's 
attention  to  the  withered  fig-tree  (ch.  xi.  21) ;  that  it  was 
he  also,  with  his  brother  and  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  who 
asked  him  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  about  the  destruction  of 
the  temple  (ch.  xiii.  3).  Many  of  the  things  which  it  re- 
cords are  things  immediately  concerning  Peter, and  such  as 
would  be  personally  known  to  him.  Things  in  which  Peter 
had  a  personal  interest  mark  important  stages  in  Christ's 
ministry,  e.  g.  his  call,  his  confession,  the  message  sent  him 
by  the  Risen  Lord.  There  are  omissions  of  things  specially 
honourable  to  Peter,  such  as  the  great  declaration  that  the 
Church  was  to  be  built  upon  him,  the  Rock  (Matt.  xvi.  18), 
which  are  explained  perhaps  by  his  relation  to  the  com- 
position of  the  Gospel.  Narratives  like  those  of  the 
raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  the  Transfiguration,  and 
the  Agony,  have  details  and  peculiarities  as  given  by 
Mark  which  suggest  a  more  immediate  knowledge  of  the 
circumstances,  and  such  a  knowledge  as  Peter,  an  actor 
in  all  these  scenes,  might  have  had.  There  are  certain 
resemblances  also  between  the  style  of  this  Gospel  and 
that  of  Peter  as  seen  in  his  discourses  in  the  Acts  and  in 
his  Epistles.  These  things  indeed,  however  interesting 
in  themselves,  might  come  far  short  of  proving  the  Gospel 
to  have  such  an  origin.  But  they  suit  very  well  the  account 
of  it  which  has  been  transmitted  to  us  from  the  second 
century. 


12  ST.   MARK 

4.    Sources  of  the  Gospel. 

The  matter  of  this  Gospel,  therefore,  is  taken  mainly 
from  those  discourses  of  Peter,  of  which  early  Christian 
writers  say  so  much,  which  embodied  his  recollections  of 
his  master's  words  and  deeds,  and  were  spoken  by  him 
with  a  view  to  the  needs  of  those  about  him.  But  though 
these  are  the  chief  sources  of  the  Gospel  they  do  not 
account  for  all  that  is  in  it.  There  are  some  things  which 
in  all  probability  are  Mark's  own,  such  as  the  explanatory 
sentences  about  the  Jewish  washings  (ch.  vii.  3,  4) ;  the 
statement,  also  in  the  form  of  an  explanation,  *  This  he 
said,  making  all  meats  clean'  (vii.  19);  and  the  episode 
of  the  young  man  already  referred  to.  There  are  some 
paragraphs  which  seem  to  come  from  another  source, 
perhaps  a  written  source.  These  include  the  narrative  of 
Herod  in  ch.  vi,  and  the  long  discourse  about  the  end  in 
ch.  xiii  and  the  beginning  of  ch.  xiv.  It  is  difficult  to  say 
how  much,  if  anything,  is  due  to  the  hand  of  an  editor, 
and  still  more  difficult  to  say  whether  the  Logia  of 
Matthew — that  collection  of  the  sayings  of  Jesus  which 
is  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  two  main  foundations  of  the 
Gospels  as  we  have  them — must  be  reckoned  among  the 
sources.  In  a  few  passages,  especially  in  ch.  xiii,  it  is 
possible  that  Mark's  Gospel  is  indebted  to  the  Logia. 
But  at  most  it  can  only  be  to  a  very  small  extent  that 
Mark  is  dependent  on  that  collection.  His  Gospel,  more 
particularly  in  the  parts  occupied  with  the  Galilean 
ministry,  has  all  the  appearance  of  a  simple  record  of 
such  recollections  of  the  words  and  deeds  of  Christ  as 
Peter  might  have  had  and  which  he  might  repeat  in  his 
discourses. 

5.    Compass  and  Contents  of  the  Gospel. 
This  Gospel  keeps  within  the  limits  of  apostolic  preach- 
ing  given   by  Peter  in  his   discourse   before   Cornelius 
(Acts  x.  37-41).     It  begins  with  the  Baptist's  mission  and 


INTRODUCTION  13 

ends  with  the  Resurrection  of  Jesus.  It  has  a  brief  pre- 
liminary section  dealing  with  John's  ministry,  and  with  the 
preparation  of  Jesus  for  his  official  work  by  his  Baptism 
and  his  Temptation  (ch.  i.  1-13) ;  a  central  section  of 
narrative  forming  the  body  of  the  composition  (chs.  i.  14 — 
xv.  47) ;  a  conclusion  reporting  the  Resurrection  (ch.  xv. 
1-8) ;  and  an  additional  paragraph  recording  certain 
details  of  the  Resurrection,  and  the  circumstances  of  the 
Ascension  (ch.  xvi.  9-20).  The  central  section  itself  falls 
into  two  great  blocks,  one  given  to  the  Galilean  ministry,  j 
(chs.  i.  14 — ix.  50),  the  other  to  the  last  week  in  Jerusalem 
(chs.  xi.  1 — xvi.  8).  The  story  of  the  intermediate  events, 
covering  the  journeys  into  Peraea  and  Judaea,  the  words 
of  Christ  on  divorce,  reward,  and  his  Coming,  and  such 
incidents  as  the  blessing  of  the  children,  the  rich  man's 
question,  the  request  of  James  and  John,  and  the  case  of 
Bartimaeus,  is  more  briefly  told. 

The  narrative,  too,  follows  a  particular  order.  It  is 
arranged  in  certain  more  or  less  clearly  defined  sections. 
It  gives  us,  first,  the  Galilean  ministry  in  the  eastern  parts 
(chs.  i.  14 — vii.  23)  and  in  the  northern  (chs.  vii.  24 — ix.  50), 
then  the  Peraean  ministry  (x.  1-3 1 ),  and  finally  the  journey 
to  Jerusalem  and  the  last  events  (chs,  x.  32— xv.  47).  The 
story  of  the  ministry  in  Eastern  Galilee  falls  itself,  again, 
into  three  parts.  Of  these,  the  first  is  occupied  with  the 
announcement  of  the  kingdom,  the  call  of  the  first  disciples, 
and  the  beginnings  of  opposition  (chs.  i.  14 — iii.  12) ;  the 
second,  with  the  call  of  the  apostles,  and  the  events  follow- 
ing that  decisive  act  on  to  the  rejection  at  Nazareth  (chs. 
iii.  13 — vi.  6)  ;  and  the  third,  with  the  mission  of  the  Twelve, 
and  the  subsequent  events  on  to  the  retirement  to  the 
borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  (chs.  vi.  7 — vii.  24).  The  story 
of  the  ministry  in  Northern  Galilee  in  like  manner  is  told 
in  two  sections — the  one  embracing  all  that  happened  on 
to  Christ's  withdrawal  in  the  direction  of  Caesarea  Philippi 
(chs.  vii.  24 — viii.  27),  and  the  other  all  that  occurred  from 
Peter's  confession  on  to  the  words  on  self-denial  (chs.  viii. 


i4  ST.  MARK 

27 — ix.  50).  The  events  of  Passion  Week  are  related  with 
particular  fullness  and  continuity,  almost  in  the  style  of  a 
diary  filled  in  day  by  day  and  hour  by  hour. 

6.  Plan  of  the  Gospel. 
We  can  discover,  therefore,  in  Mark's  Gospel  a  certain 
plan,  but  a  simple  one.  It  does  not  attempt  much  literary 
form,  neither  does  it  give  events  by  any  means  in  their 
strict  chronological  succession.  Nor,  again,  does  it  follow 
to  any  large  extent  the  method  of  grouping  things  which 
we  see  more  clearly  in  Matthew.  There  are  some  instances 
of  this,  especially  in  the  second  and  third  chapters,  but 
not  many.  There  is,  however,  a  certain  orderly  setting 
of  the  things  that  are  recorded.  They  are  arranged  so  as 
to  shew  us  how  in  his  teaching  our  Lord  followed  a  certain 
method  ;  how  he  began  with  the  call  to  repentance,  the 
announcement  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  enforcement  of 
the  great  moral  requirements,  all  in  a  simple  way  and  as 
occasion  offered,  and  proceeded  in  due  time  to  the  deeper 
things  of  his  kingdom  as  a  spiritual  order,  and  the  mys- 
teries of  his  own  Person,  his  Death  and  his  Resurrection  ; 
how  he  delivered  his  message  first  in  direct  and  obvious 
terms,  and  afterwards  in  the  form  of  parabolic  discourse ; 
how  he  took  for  the  scene  of  his  first  preaching  the  towns 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  the  synagogues 
in  those  parts,  and  then  went  further  afield,  addressing 
his  word  to  audiences  of  a  different  kind.  What  it  gives 
is  not  a  complete  biography,  far  less  a  history,  but  rather 
an  outline  of  a  history  for  a  particular  purpose.  And  that 
is  not  a  theoretical  or  ecclesiastical  purpose  but  the  plain, 
practical  purpose  of  placing  on  record  for  edification  the 
main  events  in  the  public  life  of  Jesus,  with  a  selection  of 
his  words  and  especially  of  his  deeds.  It  takes  his  official 
ministry  for  its  primary  subject.  It  passes  by,  therefore, 
the  preliminary  history  on  to  the  period  of  most  immediate 
preparation  for  that  ministry.  It  omits  the  longer  dis- 
courses, with  the  exception  of  certain  parables  and  the 


INTRODUCTION  15 

great  declaration  on  the  End.  It  leaves  even  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  without  report.  It  gives  few  parables — 
only  four  of  the  parables  proper,  together  with  three  of  the 
minor  or  germ  parables.  It  deals  with  the  acts  of  Jesus 
rather  than  his  words.  It  has  many  more  miracles  than 
parables — no  less  than  eighteen.  Most  of  these  are 
miracles  of  healing,  and  most  belong  to  the  period  before 
the  Transfiguration. 


7.    Relation  of  Mark  to  Matthew  and 
Luke  in  respect  of  matter. 

The  three  Synoptical  Gospels  have  much  in  common  as 
regards  both  the  things  recorded  and  the  order  in  which 
they  are  given.  But  each  has  also  its  own  peculiarities. 
Mark  omits  much  that  is  found  in  Matthew  and  Luke, 
or  in  one  or  other  of  them :  such  sections  of  the  former, 
e.  g.  as  chs.  i,  ii,  v.  7,  and  of  the  latter,  such  paragraphs  as 
chs.  i,  ii,  ix.  51 — xviii.  14.  On  the  other  hand,  Mark  has 
some  passages  which  the  others  have  not.  He  has  one 
parable  peculiar  to  himself,  that  of  the  Fruit-bearing 
Earth  (ch.  iv.  26-29),  and  two  miracles,  those  of  the  deaf 
mute  (ch.  vii.  31-37)  and  the  blind  man  of  Bethsaida 
(ch.  viii.  22-26).  He  gives  also  certain  things  which  are 
not  reported  by  the  others — the  questions  regarding  the 
dullness  of  the  disciplesand  their  disputings  (ch.viii.  17, 18, 
ix.  33),  the  incident  of  the  young  man  (ch.  xiv.  51,  52), 
the  smiting  of  Jesus  by  the  servants  (ch.  xiv.  65),  Pilate's 
wonder,  &c.  (ch.  xv.  44).  Further,  Mark  has  a  certain 
proportion  of  matter  which  appears  in  Matthew  but  not 
in  Luke,  or  in  Luke  but  not  in  Matthew  ;  and  in  narratives 
which  are  common  to  the  three,  or  to  Mark  and  one  of  the 
others,  he  adds  in  not  a  few  cases  considerably  to  our 
knowledge  by  his  richer  detail.  This  will  appear  if  one 
compares  his  accounts  of  the  paralytic,  the  demoniac  boy, 
the  purgation  of  the  Temple,  &c.  with  those  of  the  others. 
In  ihe   matter  of  arrangement,  too,  he  has  a  way  of  his 


1 6  ST.  MARK 

own.  In  the  case  of  the  Galilean  ministry,  e.  g.  he  differs 
considerably  from  Matthew's  order  on  to  the  story  of  Herod 
(ch.  vi.  13),  after  which  there  is  more  agreement.  In  the 
later  chapters  (x-xvi)  Mark's  order  is  very  much  the  same 
as  that  of  the  others.  The  amount  of  divergence  from 
Luke  all  through  is  less  than  from  Matthew ;  but  the 
blasphemy  of  the  scribes,  the  parable  of  the  Mustard 
Seed,  and  some  other  things  are  not  given  in  the  same 
connexion  by  Mark  as  by  Luke. 

8.  Relation  of  Mark  to  Matthew  and  Luke 
in  respect  of  time. 

There  are  considerable  differences,  therefore,  between 
Mark  and  the  other  Synoptical  Gospels  ;  but  there  is 
also  considerable  agreement.  Nor  is  this  agreement 
confined  to  the  general  selection  and  arrangement  of 
matter :  it  extends  to  the  minuter  circumstances  of 
word  and  phrase.  There  is  often  a  remarkable  verbal 
correspondence  between  Mark  and  the  other  Synoptists. 
In  order  to  understand  the  nature  and  measure  of  these 
coincidences,  one  should  carefully  compare  such  passages 
in  Mark  as  ch.  iv.  3-9,  viii.  27 — ix.  9  with  their  equiva- 
lents in  Matt.  xiii.  3-9,  xvi.  13-28,  xvii.  1-10  ;  or  such 
passages  as  Mark  i.  40-44  with  Luke  v.  12-16;  Mark 
ii.  12-22  with  Luke  v.  27-39.  The  question  therefore 
arises — How  are  these  peculiarities  to  be  explained?  Is 
Mark  dependent  on  Matthew  and  Luke,  or  is  the  opposite 
the  case  ?  Augustine,  as  we  have  seen,  took  Mark  to  be 
later  than  Matthew  and  dependent  on  it.  Clement  of 
Alexandria  gave  it  as  a  fact,  '  derived  from  the  oldest 
presbyters,'  that  the  Gospels  which  contain  the  genealo- 
gies of  our  Lord  were  the  first  written  (Eusebius,  Church 
History,  vi.  14),  and  many  in  modern  times  have 
accepted  in  one  form  or  other  this  ancient,  traditional 
view  of  Mark  as  the  latest  of  the  three,  or  at  least  not 
the  earliest,  and  as  dependent  on  one  of  them  or  on  both. 


INTRODUCTION  17 

Elaborate  schemes  have  also  been  constructed  with  the 
object  of  shewing  how  Mark's  Gospel  must  have  been 
put  together  by  abridgement  and  combination  of  Matthew 
and  Luke,  or  was  composed  with  one  of  these,  if  not 
both,  before  its  writer's  eye.  In  ancient  times  this  was 
argued  for  the  most  part  on  general  considerations — on 
the  ground  of  the  improbability,  e.g.  that  a  Gospel 
containing  comparatively  so  little  of  our  Lord's  discourses 
should  have  been  the  earliest,  or  that  a  Roman  Gospel 
should  have  preceded  a  Palestinian.  In  modern  times 
the  argument  has  been  based  on  a  minute  analysis  of  the 
contents. 

But  in  neither  case  has  the  position  been  made  good. 
The  explanations  which  Mark  gives  from  time  to  time 
of  matters  of  history,  geography,  or  custom  are  to  be 
accounted  for  in  a  better  way  than  by  taking  them  for 
evidences  of  the  secondary  character  of  the  writing. 
There  are  some  things  which  are  referred  to  as  in- 
dicating that  the  author  did  not  write  independently. 
But  they  are  not  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  and  many 
of  them  are  used  in  an  arbitrary  way.  It  is  true,  for 
example,  that  in  describing  the  restored  demoniac  Mark 
speaks  of  him  as  now  '  clothed'  (ch.  v.  15),  while  Luke 
says  of  him  that  in  his  possessed  condition  'he  wore 
no  clothes'  (ch.  viii.  27).  But  it  surely  does  not  follow 
that  Mark  must  have  had  Luke's  picture  of  the  man 
before  him  when  he  wrote  his  account  of  him.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  peculiarly  lifelike  character  of  Mark's 
narrative,  the  precision  of  his  statements,  the  circum- 
stantiality of  his  references  to  matters  of  geography, 
history,  custom  and  the  like,  are  not  consistent  with  the 
way  in  which  a  secondary  writer  or  a  copyist  goes  to  work. 

In  other  directions,  too,  Mark  must  have  chosen  a  very 
strange  method  of  making  up  his  Gospel  if  he  was  indeed 
a  compiler  or  epitomist.  For  one  thing  we  should  have 
expected  him  in  that  case  to  have  studied  brevity.  But 
it  is  not  so.     In  many  cases  he  is  fuller  than  the  others 


iS  ST.  MARK 

in  his  descriptions.  Often  in  reporting  incidents  which 
are  also  given  by  Matthew  or  by  Luke  he  enlarges  the 
report  by  particulars  of  his  own  ;  and  there  are  instances 
in  which,  on  the  supposition  in  question,  he  must  be  under- 
stood to  have  selected  the  fuller  account  of  Luke  in  pre- 
ference to  the  shorter  account  of  Matthew.  Besides,  it  is 
not  easy  to  see  why,  when  there  were  two  Gospels,  both  of 
them  comparatively  short,  already  in  existence,  another 
Evangelist  should  have  constructed  another  Gospel,  still 
shorter,  but  following  mostly  the  same  plan  and  not 
giving  any  very  large  proportion  of  new  matter.  For 
some  fifty  verses  will  comprise  the  whole  amount  of 
matter  that  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  Hence  opinion  has 
now  gone  largely  against  the  theory  that  this  Gospel  is 
the  product  of  any  process  of  curtailment  and  compila- 
tion. It  is  held  by  most  that  this  is  the  earliest  of  the 
three  Synoptical  Gospels,  and  that  it  is  one  of  the  chief 
sources  of  the  others. 


9.  Language  and  Style. 

The  Second  Gospel  contains  some  Latin  words  in 
Greek  form.  One  or  two  manuscripts  speak  of  it  as 
written  in  the  Roman  tongue.  There  are  also  certain 
subscriptions  and  marginal  notes  in  some  of  the  ancient 
versions  which  refer  to  it  in  similar  terms.  Hence  it  has 
been  thought  by  some  that,  though  we  have  it  now  in 
Greek,  it  was  written  originally  in  Latin.  This  opinion 
used  to  prevail  in  particular  among  Roman  Catholic 
theologians,  and  some  men  of  great  eminence  committed 
themselves  to  it.  It  was  even  imagined  that  a  part  of 
the  original  copy  in  Latin  was  deposited  in  the  Library 
of  St.  Mark's  in  Venice.  But  this  opinion  is  now  given 
up,  and  it  has  little  indeed  to  support  it.  The  manu- 
scripts supposed  to  bear  it  out  are  of  very  late  date. 
The  late  references  in  certain  copies  of  the  versions  are 
of   no    importance.     The    supposed   Venetian    treasure 


INTRODUCTION  19 

proved  to  be  only  a  portion  of  the  Vulgate  Version.  If 
the  Gospel,  too,  was  meant  specially  for  Roman  readers, 
colloquial  Greek  would  still  have  been  the  most  natural 
language  in  which  to  write.  Paul's  Kpistle  to  the  Romans 
is  written  not  in  Latin,  but  in  Greek. 

More  recently  it  has  been  taken  to  have  been  written 
originally  in  Aramaic,  the  vernacular  of  the  Holy  Land 
in  the  times  of  our  Lord  and  his  apostles.  This  opinion 
is  based  mostly  on  arguments  drawn  from  the  condition 
of  the  text  and  certain  peculiarities  in  the  contents.  But 
these  are  precarious  reasonings.  Some  of  them  may 
suggest  that  the  writer  availed  himself  to  some  extent 
of  Aramaic  sources.  They  do  not  prove  that  he  wrote 
in  Aramaic.  The  theory  also  fails  to  do  justice  to  those 
very  distinct  qualities  of  the  Gospel,  as  we  now  have  it, 
which  make  it  difficult  to  regard  it  as  a  translation  or  a 
secondary  composition.  Hence  it  is  the  almost  universal 
opinion  now  that  Mark's  Gospel  was  written  originally 
in  the  language  in  which  it  has  come  down  to  us,  namely, 
Greek.  With  this  the  references  to  the  Gospel  in  the 
early  Christian  writers  entirely  agree.  The  testimony 
of  antiquity  has  nothing  to  say  of  an  Aramaic  or  of 
a  Latin  original. 

With  this,  too,  the  style  best  agrees.  It  is  not  the 
style  of  a  translator.  It  is  simple  and  direct,  and  at  the 
same  time  free,  unconstrained,  forcible,  and  full  of  life. 
The  sentences  have  no  elaborated  literary  form,  but  are 
connected  for  the  most  part  by  the  simplest  terms,  and, 
now,  and  the  like.  They  are  usually  terse  and  pointed. 
Yet,  when  it  is  necessary  for  the  purposes  of  clear, 
vigorous,  vivid  narration,  Mark  can  use  a  more  copious 
style.  We  see  this  in  such  instances  of  the  adding  of 
phrase  to  phrase  as  these — '  He  went  out,  and  began  to 
publish  it  much,  and  to  spread  abroad  the  matter'  (ch. 
i.  45) ;  '  I  neither  know,  nor  understand  what  thou 
sayest'  (ch.  xiv.  68). 


c  2 


2o  ST.  MARK 


10.  Place  of  Composition  ok  Publication. 

The  Gospel  itself  neither  states  nor  indicates  where  it 
was  written  or  where  it  was  first  given  to  the  Church. 
Opinion,  therefore,  has  varied  on  this  question,  and  some 
very  uncertain  conjectures  have  been  put  forth.  It  has 
been  supposed  by  an  English  scholar  that  the  Second 
Gospel  was  written  at  Caesarea,  'with  a  reference,'  as  he 
understands  it, '  not  only  to  Jewish  believers,  but  to  Gentile 
Roman  converts,  who  would  have  multiplied  there  in 
seven  or  eight  years  from  the  conversion  of  Cornelius5 
(Birks,  Horce  Evangelicce,  p.  238).  A  German  scholar 
of  older  date,  Professor  G.  C.  Storr,  of  Tubingen,  argued 
on  behalf  of  Antioch  as  the  place  of  publication.  He 
pointed  to  the  statement  in  Acts  (ch.  xi.  19,  20)  that 
those  who  '  were  scattered  abroad  upon  the  tribulation 
that  arose  about  Stephen  travelled  as  far  as  Phoenicia, 
and  Cyprus,  and  Antioch,  speaking  the  word  to  none 
save  only  to  Jews,'  with  the  explanation  that  some  of 
them,  '  men  of  Cyprus  and  Cyrene,'  '  when  they  were 
come  to  Antioch,  spake  unto  the  Greeks  also,  preaching 
the  Lord  Jesus.'  He  connected  this  with  what  is  said  of 
Simon  a  Cyrenian,  '  the  father  of  Alexander  and  Rums,' 
in  the  Gospel  itself  (ch.  xv.  21),  and  thought  it  probable 
that  Alexander  and  Rufus  were  among  the  men  who 
went  to  Antioch,  and  that  this  was  the  reason  why  Mark 
introduced  them  into  the  paragraph  about  their  father. 
This  is  all  very  ingenious,  but  also  far  from  convincing. 

<  Ancient  testimony,  so  far  as  it  bears  on  the  question, 
is  almost  wholly  on  the  side  of  Rome.  Jerome,  e.  g.,  at 
the  close  of  the  fourth  and  the  beginning  of  the  fifth 
century,  speaks  of  Mark,  '  the  disciple  and  interpreter  of 
Peter,'  as  having  written  '  a  brief  Gospel  at  the  request 
V  of  the  brethren  in  Rome,  in  accordance  with  what  he  had 
heard  related  by  Peter.5  Epiphanius,  a  little  earlier,  says 
that '  immediately  after  Matthew,  Mark,  having  become  an 
attendant  of  the  holy  Peter  in  Rome,  had  committed  to  him 


INTRODUCTION  21 

the  task  of  setting  forth  the  Gospel,'  and  that  '  having 
completed  his  work,  he  was  sent  by  the  holy  Peter  into  the 
country  of  the  Egyptians.'  Eusebius,  the  Church  historian, 
who  flourished  about  the  end  of  the  third  century  and 
the  beginning  of  the  fourth,  makes  this  statement  among 
others  about  Mark's  Gospel — { When  Peter  had  proclaimed 
the  word  publicly  at  Rome  and  declared  the  Gospel 
under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  as  there  was  a  great 
number  present,  they  requested  Mark,  who  had  followed 
him  from  long  time,  and  remembered  well  what  he  had 
said,  to  reduce  these  things  to  writing,  and  after  composing 
the  Gospel  he  gave  it  to  those  who  requested  it  of  him.' 
Origen,  in  the  early  part  of  the  third  century,  refers  to 
Mark  as  having  composed  his  Gospel { under  the  guidance 
of  Peter,5  and  quotes  in  that  connexion  the  words  in 
1  Pet.  v.  13  rendered  by  our  Revisers,  *  She  that  is  in 
Babylon,  elect  together  with  yote,  saluteth  you,  and  so 
doth  Mark  my  son.'  If  Babylon  there  stands  for  Rome, 
the  quotation  supplies  another  indication  of  ancient  opinion 
on  the  question  of  place.  Earlier  still,  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria explains  the  occasion  for  writing  the  Gospel  thus — 
'That  after  Peter  had  publicly  preached  the  word  in 
Rome,  and  declared  the  Gospel  by  the  Spirit,  many  who 
were  present  entreated  Mark,  as  one  who  had  for  long 
attended  the  Apostle,  and  who  knew  by  heart  what  he 
had  said,  to  reduce  to  writing  what  had  been  spoken  to 
them  ;  and  that  Mark,  having  composed  the  Gospel,  made 
it  over  to  those  who  asked  him.'  And  Irenaeus  of  Lyons, 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  second  century,  says  that  '  Peter 
and  Paul  went  westward,  and  preached  and  founded  the 
Church  in  Rome,'  and  adds  that  'after  the  departure 
of  these,  Mark,  the  disciple  and  interpreter  of  Peter, 
even  he,  delivered  to  us  in  writing  the  things  which 
were  preached  by  Peter.' 

These  testimonies  are  not  quite  direct  and  definite, 
neither  are  they  entirely  consistent  at  all  points.  But 
they  speak  for  Rome  as  the  place  of  composition  or  of 


22  ST.  MARK 

publication,  and  this  is  accepted  by  most  scholars  as 
the  most  probable  conclusion.  Confirmation  of  this  has 
been  sought  in  other  directions.  In  the  colophons  of 
some  of  our  later  manuscripts  of  the  text  it  is  expressly 
stated  that  this  Gospel  was  written  in  Rome.  '  Here 
ends  the  Holy  Gospel,  the  announcement  of  Mark,'  it 
is  said,  e.  g.  in  the  colophon  of  the  Peshito  Syriac  Version, 
'which  he  spoke  and  preached  at  Rome  in  the  Roman 
language.'  But  notes  of  this  kind  on  the  manuscripts 
are  not  of  much  weight.  The  passage  in  Paul's  Epistle 
to  the  Romans — 'Salute  Rufus  the  chosen  in  the  Lord, 
and  his  mother  and  mine'  (ch.  xvi.  13)  is  also  appealed 
to.  This  Rufus,  residing  then,  as  it  would  appear,  in 
Rome,  is  supposed  to  be  the  brother  of  the  Alexander 
and  the  son  of  the  Simon  introduced  in  the  passage  of  the 
Gospel  already  referred  to  (ch.  xv.  21),  and  further  to  have 
been  a  person  so  well  known  in  Rome  that  Mark  might 
naturally  make  some  mention  of  him  and  of  his  brother 
with  him  when  writing  in  the  metropolis.  But  this  is  all 
too  uncertain  an  argument,  however  ingenious  it  may  be. 
There  is,  however,  another  place  for  which  something 
is  thought  to  be  said  in  ancient  tradition.  That  is  Alex- 
andria. Chrysostom  observes  that  •  Mark  is  said  to  have 
composed  his  Gospel  in  Egypt  at  the  solicitation  of  his 
disciples  there,'  and,  as  we  have  seen,  tradition  connects 
Mark  the  Evangelist  and  his  ministry  in  particular  with 
the  Egyptian  city  Alexandria.  But  the  statement  made 
by  Chrysostom  is  entirely  without  support  elsewhere. 
Some,  nevertheless,  have  suggested  that  the  Gospel  may 
have  been  published  both  in  Rome  and  in  Alexandria. 
And  there  are  one  or  two  passages  in  the  writings  of 
the  Fathers,  Eusebius  and  Jerome  in  particular,  which 
have  been  taken  to  favour  this  idea.  But  these  passages 
when  looked  into  are  seen  to  have  no  distinct  statement 
to  the  effect  that  this  Gospel  was  either  composed  in 
Alexandria  or  given  to  the  Church  of  that  city.  So  far, 
therefore,  as  the  facts  at  our  disposal  go,  the  probabilities 


INTRODUCTION  23 

remain  all  on  the  side  of  Rome.  The  New  Testament 
itself,  too,  shews  that  Mark  was  in  Rome  when  Paul  was 
a  prisoner  there  (Col.  iv.  10 ;  Philem.  24).  It  also  indicates 
that  he  was  in  Rome  with  Peter  himself,  if  the  Babylon 
in  1  Pet.  v.  13  can  be  taken  in  the  figurative  sense  it  has 
in  the  Apocalypse. 

11.  Destination  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Gospel  is  not  addressed  to  any  definite  locality  or 
any  particular  circle  of  readers,  nor  does  it  state  for  whom 
it  was  specially  intended.  Tradition,  however,  gives  some 
indication  of  its  destination.  The  terms  in  which  Irenaeus, 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  Jerome,  and  others  refer  to  it,  point 
at  least  to  Gentile  readers  as  those  more  immediately 
in  view.  And  this  is  what  might  be  inferred  from  what 
is  found  in  the  Gospel  itself.  It  is  in  the  habit,  for  example, 
of  interpreting  the  Aramaic  terms  which  it  occasionally 
introduces.  So  it  is  with  the  words  Boa?ierges,  Talitha 
Cumiy  Corban,  Ephphatha,  Abba  (iii.  17,  v.  41,  vii.  II,  vii. 
34,  xiv.  30),  with  the  cry  from  the  Cross,  Eloi,  Eloz,  lama 
sabachthani?  (xv.  34),  and  with  the  name  BartimcEus 
(x.  46).  Such  reproductions  of  the  vernacular  might  not 
be  understood  by  Gentiles.  So,  too,  it  is  accustomed  to 
explain  Jewish  customs,  seasons,  localities,  and  the  like. 
This  is  the  case  with  what  it  says  of  the  l  defiled  '  hands, 
the  peculiar  Jewish  washings,  the  first  day  of  unleavened 
bread,  the  two  mites,  the  position  of  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
the  '  Preparation '  or  '  the  day  before  the  Sabbath,'  &c. 
(vii.  32,  vii.  3,  4,  xii.  42,  xiii.  3,  xv.  42).  To  explain  such 
things  to  Jewish  readers  would  have  been  superfluous. 

The  way  in  which  the  Old  Testament  is  treated  has 
also  its  significance.  It  has  a  much  smaller  place  in 
Mark  than  it  has  in  the  other  Evangelists.  In  Matthew 
the  references  to  it  are  so  numerous  that  the  whole  Gospel 
has  a  Hebraic  aspect.  In  Mark  there  are  in  all  some 
twenty-three  quotations  of  one  kind  or  other.  Most  of 
these  follow  the  text  of  the   Greek   Septuagint  Version. 


24  ST.  MARK 

These  also  belong  almost  entirely  to  the  reports  of  our 
Lord's  sayings,  or  those  of  others  given  in  the  narrative, 
and  not  to  the  Evangelist  himself.  The  quotation  in 
ch.  xv.  28  which  is  given  in  the  A.  V.  is  omitted  by  the 
R.  V.,  and  there  remains,  therefore,  the  solitary  case  of 
ch.  i.  2,  3  as  a  quotation  made  by  Mark  himself.  In 
like  manner  the  Jewish  Law  is  strange  to  Mark's  Gospel. 
While  it  appears  some  eight  times  in  Matthew,  nine  times 
in  Luke,  and  eighteen  times  in  John,  it  does  not  occur 
at  all  in  Mark.  This  Gospel  speaks,  indeed,  of  the 
'  Commandment '  repeatedly  (vii.  8,  x.  19,  &c),  but  not 
of  the  '  Law.' 

It  has  been  thought  that  we  can  be  more  specific,  and 
conclude  that  this  Gospel  was  addressed  to  Roman 
readers  in  particular.  But  there  is  not  enough  to  bear 
this  out.  It  is  true  that  some  of  the  early  Christian 
writers,  such  as  Clement  of  Alexandria  and  Jerome, 
connect  Rome  with  the  request  which  they  record  to 
have  been  made  to  Mark  to  commit  his  recollections  to 
writing,  and  that  this  might  suggest  that  the  destination 
of  the  Gospel  was  Rome.  But  the  historical  testimony 
is  scarcely  adequate.  It  is  supposed,  indeed,  to  be 
strengthened  by  things  that  are  found  in  the  writing 
itself.  But  neither  are  these  sufficiently  clear  and 
decisive.  It  has  been  thought,  for  example,  that  the 
Latinisms  which  occur  in  Mark  are  witnesses  in  point. 
It  is  true  that  this  Gospel  adopts  certain  Latin  idioms, 
and  that  it  uses  a  number  of  Latin  words — legio?i, 
centurion,  census,  and  others,  of  which  some  are  found 
in  it  alone.  But  such  Latinisms  occur,  though  in  smaller 
proportion,  in  the  other  Gospels  also,  and  in  Jewish 
writings  of  both  older  and  later  date.  Other  hints  of 
a  Roman  circle  of  readers  have  been  discovered  in  the 
way  in  which  Pilate  is  introduced,  which  is  supposed 
to  mean  that  he  was  known  to  those  addressed  ;  in  the 
fact  that  the  '  two  mites '  are  explained  by  a  Roman  coin 
(xii.  42),  and  in  a  few  incidental  occurrences  of  a  similar 


INTRODUCTION  25 

kind.  But  these  are  precarious  indications,  and  it  cannot 
be  said  that  we  have  facts  enough  to  connect  this  Gospel 
specifically  with  a  Roman  destination. 

12.    Date  of  the  Gospel. 

The  question  of  the  date  of  composition  or  of  publica- 
tion is  left  in  an  indeterminate  position  by  the  Gospel 
itself,  nor  does  ancient  historical  testimony  speak  with  any 
precision  on  the  subject.  With  considerable  probability 
the  date  may  be  placed  within  a  certain  term  of  years, 
but  the  facts  at  our  disposal  are  not  sufficient  to  take 
us  much  beyond  that.  There  has  been  much  conjecture, 
however,  and  opinion  has  gone  from  one  extreme  to 
another.  Some  scholars  have  contended  for  a  very  early- 
date,  even  as  early  as  42  or  43  A.D.,  or  at  least  some- 
where between  these  years  and  57  or  58  A.D. ;  and  in 
support  of  this  they  have  pointed  to  the  fact  that  the 
colophons  of  some  of  our  ancient  manuscripts  speak  of 
the  book  as  published  ten  or  twelve  years  after  our 
Lord's  Ascension.  Those  who  argue  for  Antioch  or  for 
Caesarea  as  the  place  of  composition  or  publication  are 
also  of  opinion  that  the  reasons  which  point  to  that 
conclusion  hold  in  like  manner  for  the  very  early  date. 

Others  have  sought  to  carry  it  far  into  the  second 
century.  This  is  the  case  with  those,  like  Baur  and  his 
most  consistent  followers,  who  do  not  look  upon  this 
Gospel  as  a  plain  historical  narrative,  but  think  it  is 
more  a  work  of  art  composed  with  the  special  object  of 
harmonizing  two  antagonistic  parties  in  the  Church,  a 
strict  Petrine  party,  and  a  free  Pauline  party,  the  one  taking 
a  legalistic,  Judaic  view  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  other 
a  more  liberal  and  catholic  view  of  the  same.  Those, 
too,  who  suppose  that  this  Gospel  as  we  have  it  is  not 
the  original  Mark,  but  that  it  has  a  more  primitive 
version  of  the  Evangelist's  narrative  behind  it,  as  also 
those  who  are  of  opinion  that   Mark's  Gospel  came  after 


26  ST.  MARK 

those  of  Matthew  and  Luke,  or  at  least  after  that  of 
Matthew,  naturally  argue  for  a  somewhat  later  date. 
This  conclusion  is  thought  to  be  favoured  by  certain 
general  considerations  as  well  as  by  some  particular 
points  in  the  Gospel  itself.  It  is  urged,  for  example, 
that  it  is  very  unlikely  that  anything  like  a  finished, 
formal  Gospel  history  should  have  been  given  to  the 
Church  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  also  argued 
that  Mark's  references  to  the  Coming  of  the  Son  of  Man 
and  the  tribulation  of  the  last  times  (chs.  ix.  I,  xiii.  24) 
differ  somewhat  from  those  in  Matthew,  and  seem  to 
contemplate  these  events  as  further  in  the  future,  as 
when  Mark,  e.  g.  uses  the  more  general  phrase,  '  in 
those  days,'  where  Matthew  gives  the  more  definite, 
'  immediately.'  But  these  are  slender  foundations  on 
which  to  build  a  theory. 

How  does  the  case  stand,  then,  in  the  matter  of 
ancient  historical  testimony  ?  That  testimony  cannot  be 
said  to  be  either  much  in  amount  or  very  certain  in  its 
import.  Eusebius  in  his  Chronicle  connects  Mark's 
Gospel  with  the  third  year  of  the  Emperor  Claudius 
(a.  D.  43).  Clement  of  Alexandria,  Origen,  Epiphanius, 
and  Jerome  speak  of  it  as  written  when  Peter  was  yet 
alive,  and  as  it  would  seem,  after  he  had  come  to  Rome. 
Irenaeus,  in  the  third  book  of  his  treatise  Against  Heresies, 
puts  it  somewhat  differently.  He  speaks  of  Matthew 
as  having  gone  '  eastward  to  those  of  Hebrew  descent ' ; 
while  he  says,  as  we  have  seen,  that  '  Peter  and  Paul 
went  westward,  and  preached,  and  founded  the  Church, 
in  Rome,'  stating  further  that  'after  the  departure  of 
these,'  Mark  '  delivered  to  us  in  writing  the  things  which 
were  preached  by  Peter.'  As  the  words  'after  the 
departure  of  these'  are  usually  understood,  the  com- 
position of  the  Gospel,  according  to  Irenasus,  did  not 
take  place  till  after  the  decease  of  Peter  and  Paul. 
There  is  this  amount  of  difference  between  Irenaeus  on 
the  one  hand,  and  Clement  and  those  mentioned  along 


INTRODUCTION  27 

with  him  on  the  other.  It  is  not  sufficient,  however, 
to  invalidate  the  testimony  of  the  former,  which  otherwise 
seems  to  be  of  importance,  nor  does  it  affect  the  question 
by  more  than  a  few  years.  The  death  of  Peter  took 
place,  in  all  probability,  somewhere  within  the  seventh 
decade  of  the  Christian  era,  and  both  sets  of  testimony 
may  be  said,  therefore,  to  point  to  that  as  the  period 
within  which  the  date  of  the  Gospel  is  to  be  placed. 

Whether  we  can  be  more  precise  depends  on  the 
interpretation  we  put  on  a  few  things  on  the  writing  itself. 
Of  these  the  most  important  are  the  declarations  made 
on  the  things  of  the  end  in  ch.  xiii,  especially  those  in 
vers.  13,  14,  24,  30,  33.  These  are  understood  most 
naturally  to  contemplate  the  end  as  yet  in  the  future, 
though  it  may  be  the  near  future.  There  is,  indeed, 
nothing  in  this  Gospel  that  can  be  said  to  point  distinctly 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  as  a  thing  in  the  past, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  that  an  event  of  such  moment 
as  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  state  and  its  religious 
centre,  if  it  had  recently  occurred,  could  have  had  no 
place,  or  only  an  obscure  and  ambiguous  place,  in  a 
narrative  like  this.  The  date  suggested  by  the  statement 
of  Irenasus  would  be  63  A.  D.  or  a  little  l?„ter,  and  the 
date  of  our  Gospel,  therefore,  may  be  placed  within  these 
limits— b'efore  70  A.  D.,  but  probably  not  much  before  it. 

13.  Object  and  Aim  of  the  Gospel. 

Both  the  third  Gospel  and  the  fourth  declare  the  object 
with  which  they  were  written  (Luke  i.  1-5  ;  John  xx.  31). 
The  second  Gospel,  on  the  other  hand,  proceeds  with  its 
narrative  without  giving  any  explanation  of  its  design. 
Advantage  has  been  taken,  therefore,  of  the  field  thus  left 
open  to  conjecture,  and  some  elaborate  theories  have  been 
constructed  as  to  what  the  writer  had  in  view.  It  has 
been  supposed,  for  example,  that  he  wrote  with  particular 
reference  to  the  expectation  of  Christ's  Second  Coming. 


28  ST.  MARK 

and  was  moved  especially  by  consideration  of  the  effect 
which  the  delay  of  that  event  might  have  on  those  who 
had  looked  for  the  speedy  fulfilment  of  the  promise.  He 
saw  that  hope  might  die  out,  and  that  faith  and  courage 
might  decline.  He  felt  that  it  was  necessary  to  do  some- 
thing to  meet  such  a  state  of  mind,  and  he  wrote  this 
Gospel,  it  is  supposed,  with  the  view  of  shewing  the 
Christians  of  his  time  and  circle  that,  whatever  difficulty 
there  might  be  with  the  date  of  their  Lord's  promised 
return,  there  was  ample  witness  otherwise  to  the  reality 
of  his  Messianic  claims  and  mission. 

A  much  more  important  theory,  worked  out  with 
remarkable  ingenuity,  and  involving  more  serious  issues, 
is  the  one  associated  with  the  name  of  Baur  and  the 
Tubingen  School  of  critics  in  Germany.  According  to 
them,  this  Gospel  is  not  a  simple,  historical  narrative, 
but  a  composition  of  a  somewhat  elaborate  order,  a 
tendency-writing  undertaken  with  a  definite  dogmatic 
or  ecclesiastical  object,  and  involving  a  skilful  selection 
and  manipulation  of  materials  with  that  in  view.  The 
author's  intention  was  to  bring  together  two  sharply 
contrasted  parties  in  the  Church,  one  holding  by  Peter 
and  the  more  Jewish  conception  of  Christianity,  and  the 
other  adhering  to  Paul  and  the  freer  Gentile  ideas.  He 
constructed  his  Gospel,  therefore,  in  the  spirit  of  con- 
ciliation, choosing  and  shaping  his  matter  so  as  to  offend 
neither  the  one  side  nor  the  other.  Some  who  have  not 
been  able  to  accept  this  theory  as  a  whole,  have  taken 
this  Gospel  to  be  an  essentially  Pauline  writing,  intended 
to  be  in  some  manner  an  answer  in  behalf  of  Pauline 
Christianity  to  the  claims  understood  to  be  made  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation  and  elsewhere  in  the  interest  of  the 
original  apostles. 

But  these  theories  of  definite  doctrinal  or  ecclesiastical 
objects  ruling  this  Gospel,  determining  the  use  which  the 
writer  made  of  the  materials  at  his  disposal,  and  imply- 
ing that  he  took  srreat  liberties  with  these  materials  are 


INTRODUCTION  29 

at  variance  with  the  simple,  unstudied,  matter-of-fact 
character  of  the  writing,  and  give  it  an  elaborate  and 
artificial  aspect  that  is  alien  to  it.  This  Gospel  bears 
witness,  no  doubt,  in  its  own  way,  as  the  others  do  in 
theirs,  to  Jesus  as  the  true  Messiah.  But  it  is  to  push 
matters  too  far  when  it  is  pronounced  to  be  dominated 
by  the  idea  of  counteracting  the  unhappy  effects  produced 
by  the  delay  of  Christ's  return.  The  theory  of  Baur 
rests  on  the  supposition  of  a  radical  difference  of  principle 
between  two  sections  of  the  primitive  Church  which  is 
not  made  historically  good.  And  the  peculiar  Pauline 
character  asserted  for  the  Gospel  is  not  sustained  by  any 
sufficient  body  of  facts.  It  is  founded  on  precarious  in- 
ferences drawn  from  the  prominence  given  in  Mark  to 
certain  shortcomings  on  the  part  of  the  original  disciples, 
their  dullness  in  spiritual  discernment,  their  lack  of  power 
on  certain  occasions,  and  things  of  that  kind  which  are 
frankly  recorded  (cf.  ch.  ix.  10-12,  18,  19,  32,  38,  &c). 
There  is  nothing  in  such  doubtful  and  overdriven  methods 
of  construing  this  Gospel  to  lead  us  to  think  of  it  as 
anything  else  than  what  it  appears  prima  facie  to  be,  or 
to  attribute  to  its  author  any  other  object  than  to  give 
a  plain  reliable  account  of  things  as  he  knew  them  to 
have  occurred— such  a  record  in  short  of  the  deeds  and 
words  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  events  of  his  life  as  he 
had  received  in  the  main  from  Peter,  and  had  been  asked, 
according  to  tradition,  to  prepare  for  the  edification  of  the 
Church,  when  the  living  testimony  of  the  apostles  was  no 
more  available. 

14.  The  Integrity  of  the  Gospel. 

We  have  ample  reason  for  accepting  this  Gospel  in  the 
form  in  which  we  have  it  as  in  all  essential  points  a 
trustworthy  representation  of  the  original  text.  The 
documentary  evidence  makes  this  clear.  There  are  a  good 
many  passages   in  which    our    authorities,   manuscripts, 


30  ST.  MARK 

versions,  and  quotations  in  early  Christian  literature,  shew 
variations  of  reading.  But  none  of  these  are  of  serious 
moment,  though  some  of  them  are  of  great  interest. 
Instances  of  the  latter  will  be  found  in  the  following, 
among  other  readings  and  renderings  accepted  by  the 
R.  V.  in  preference  to  those  of  the  A.  V. — '  in  Isaiah 
the  prophet,'  instead  of  '  in  the  prophets '  (i.  2)  ;  '  guilty 
of  an  eternal  sin,5  instead  of  '  in  danger  of  eternal  dam- 
nation '  (iii.  29) ;  '  not  heeding  the  word  spoken,'  instead 
of  'heard  the  word  that  was  spoken '  (v.  36) ;  '  he  was  much 
perplexed,'  instead  of  '  he  did  many  things '  (vi.  20) ; 
'  This  he  said,  making  all  meats  clean,'  instead  of '  purg- 
ing all  meats'  (vii.  19);  'by  nothing,  save  by  prayer,' 
in  place  of  '  by  nothing,  but  by  prayer  and  fasting ' 
(ix.  29).  The  only  question,  however,  that  affects  the 
right  of  any  considerable  section  to  be  received  as  part 
of  the  original  text  is  in  connexion  with  the  closing 
paragraph  (xvi.  9-20).  This  question  is  raised  by  the 
circumstance  that  in  ancient  documents  the  conclusion 
appears  in  three  different  forms.  There  is  the  longer 
form  which  is  represented  in  our  A.  V.  There  is  the 
shorter  form,  ending  with  the  words  'for  they  were 
afraid '  (xvi.  8),  to  which,  as  shewn  in  the  R.  V.,  the 
following  verses  are  an  appendix.  There  is  also  an 
intermediate  form,  which  runs  somewhat  as  follows  — 
'  But  they  reported  briefly  the  things  that  were  given  in 
charge  to  Peter  and  those  with  him  ;  and  after  these 
things  Jesus  himself  also  appeared  to  them,  and  from 
the  East  and  even  to  the  West  he  sent  forth  through 
them  the  holy  and  incorruptible  message  of  the  eternal 
salvation.5 

This  intermediate  conclusion  may  at  once  be  set  aside. 
It  is  not  given  by  any  of  the  Fathers.  It  is  otherwise 
insufficiently  attested,  and  we  have  nothing  to  shew  that 
it  was  ever  very  widely  current.  On  the  other  hand 
there  is  a  large  body  of  evidence  for  each  of  the  other 
forms.     The  conclusion  as  it  stands  in  the  A.  V.  is  sup- 


INTRODUCTION  31 

ported  by  a  large  majority  of  manuscripts  and  versions, 
including  some  of  very  ancient  date  and  acknowledged 
importance,  as  well  as  by  many  of  the  Fathers.  It  has 
also  in  its  favour,  it  is  urged,  that  it  brings  the  narrative 
to  a  natural  and  intelligible  close.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  conclusion  preferred  by  the  R.  V.  has  on  its  side  the 
voice  of  the  two  oldest  and  most  important  manuscripts  ; 
and  the  testimony  of  other  documents,  both  manuscripts 
and  versions,  which  are  of  weight,  though  fewer  in 
number  than  the  longer  conclusion  can  claim.  It  is  sup- 
ported also  by  some  notable  statements  in  early  Christian 
literature.  Eusebius,  e.g.,  speaks  of  vers.  9-20  as  not 
found  '  in  all  the  copies, '  or  '  in  the  accurate  copies.'  It  is 
a  remarkable  fact,  too,  that  in  many  of  the  Fathers,  in 
whom  some  reference  to  these  verses  might  have  been 
expected,  they  are  left  unnoticed.  There  are  also  certain 
things  in  the  paragraph  itself  which  point  to  the  action  of 
a  different  hand.  The  style  is  less  vivid,  and  the  con- 
nexion of  the  sentences  is  less  simple.  Mary  Magdalene  is 
mentioned  with  the  particular  note  of  identification  '  from 
whom  he  had  cast  out  seven  devils,'  although  she  has 
been  introduced  already  by  name  in  the  opening  verse. 
Jesus  is  reported  to  have  risen  'early,'  although  it  has 
been  already  stated  that  it  was  '  very  early '  when  the 
women  came  to  the  empty  tomb.  There  is  also  a 
considerable  difference  in  the  choice  of  terms.  The 
phrase  '  the  Lord '  is  introduced  twice,  which  is  not 
used  elsewhere  by  Mark ;  and  words  are  selected  to 
express  going,  following,  hurting,  working  together, 
confirming,  &c,  which  are  not  found  in  the  body  of  the 
Gospel.  For  these  and  other  reasons,  therefore,  the 
shorter  ending,  notwithstanding  its  abruptness,  is  pre- 
ferred by  the  majority  of  scholars,  and  it  is  accepted  by 
the  American  Revisers  as  well  as  by  the  English. 

The  paragraph  in  question,  however,  does  not  lose  its 
value.  Though  it  may  not  have  belonged  to  the  original 
form  of  the  Gospel,  it  must  have  been  added  to   it   at 


3?  ST.  MARK 

a  very  early  date,  by  the  original  hand,  or  by  some  other 
competent  witness—  some  informed  companion  or  disciple 
of  Mark.  It  has  been  supposed,  indeed,  that  a  clue  to 
the  authorship  is  furnished  by  an  old  Armenian  manu- 
script discovered  a  few  years  ago,  which  speaks  of  the 
section  as  being  '  Of  the  presbyter  Ariston.'  This  Ariston 
may  be,  it  is  thought,  the  Aristion  who  is  mentioned  by 
Papias  as  one  of  the  disciples  of  the  Lord.  Be  this  as 
it  may,  the  paragraph  remains  an  independent  and  his- 
torically credible  account  of  the  events  of  the  Forty  Days, 
of  very  ancient  date,  and  of  primitive  authority.  It  may 
have  been  added  in  order  to  complete  the  original  draft 
of  the  Gospel,  or  to  make  good  a  loss  which  the  original 
conclusion  somehow  had  sustained. 


15.  Characteristics  of  the  Gospel. 

No  careful  reader  can  fail  to  be  conscious  of  a  certain 
note  of  difference  between  Mark  and  the  companion 
Gospels.  This  Gospel  has  qualities  which  distinguish 
it  very  clearly  from  the  others.  These  qualities  are  of 
great  interest.  They  give  the  book  a  genius  which  is 
quite  its  own,  and  make  it  full  of  charm.  Among  the 
most  noticeable  is  the  plain,  direct \  business-like  character 
of  its  narrative.  There  is  little  of  the  writer's  own  notions 
of  things  in  it,  little  of  the  imprint  of  his  own  mind.  In 
this  respect  it  differs  greatly  from  the  Fourth  Gospel,  in 
which  the  narrative  bears  so  much  the  stamp  of  the  author's 
own  ways  of  thought  and  forms  of  speech.  What  Mark 
gives  us  is  a  simple,  objective  report  of  things  as  he  saw 
them  himself  or  heard  them  from  others.  It  is  not  the 
product  of  art,  nor  is  it  the  work  of  reflection.  It  is  a 
record  of  facts  as  they  literally  and  really  were. 

But  while  all  is  simple,  and  there  is  in  it  nothing 
of  the  laboured  effort  of  the  stylist  or  the  theorist,  the 
Gospel  has  a  natural  vividness,  a  sharpness  and  colour  in 
its  description,  which  might  challenge  comparison  with 


INTRODUCTION  33 

the  best  achievements  of  the  art  that  conceals  art.  The 
peculiarly  graphic,  life-like  quality  of  its  narrative  at 
once  arrests  attention.  It  makes  us  see  things  as  if  they 
were  beneath  our  own  eye  in  all  their  sharpness.  Thus  it  is 
that  it  chooses  so  often  the  direct  form  of  speech — '  Peace, 
be  still '  (iv.  39) ;  '  Come  forth,  thou  unclean  spirit,  out 
of  the  man'  (v.  8);  'Send  us  into  the  swine'  (v.  12); 
'Come  ye  yourselves  apart'  (vi.  31);  'Thou  dumb  and 
deaf  spirit,  I  command  thee,  come  out  of  him,  and  enter 
no  more  into  him '  (ix.  25). 

Thus  it  is,  too,  that  in  many  cases  a  single  word  or 
phrase  contains  a  picture  in  itself,  and  makes  a  scene 
peculiarly  real  to  us.  Look,  for  example,  at  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  Baptist  '  stooping  down '  like  a  slave  to 
unloose  the  shoe-latchet  of  Jesus  (i.  7)  ;  of  the  heavens 
in  the  act  of  'rending  asunder'  (i.  10);  of  the  7?woii?ig 
of  the  boat  to  the  Gennesaret  shore  (vi.  53) ;  of  the 
maid  coming  on  Peter  warming  himself  (xiv.  66).  And 
so  it  is  that  the  longer  narratives  are  brightened  by  a 
series  of  vivid  touches,  one  here  and  another  there,  and 
always  in  the  right  place,  which  illumine  them  and  bring 
them  home  to  the  imagination.  We  see  this  in  the  story 
of  the  paralytic,  with  its  pictures  of  the  crowd  about  the 
door,  the  sick  man  borne  of  four,  the  breaking  up  of 
the  roof,  the  sufferer  arising  straightway,  taking  up  his 
bed,  and  going  forth  in  sight  of  all  cured  (ii.  1-12).  We 
see  it  in  the  description  of  the  storm  on  the  lake— the 
winds  roaring,  the  waves  dashing  upon  the  small  vessel 
and  beginning  to  fill  it,  the  Master  on  the  pillow  in  the 
deep  sleep  of  utter  weariness,  the  terror  of  the  disciples, 
the  waking  of  the  Lord,  the  authoritative  word,  the 
instant  peace  (iv.  35-41).  The  same  is  the  case  with 
the  narratives  of  the  Gadarene  demoniac  (v.  1-20)  ;  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  with  the  characteristic 
mention  of  the  fresh  greenness  of  the  grass  on  which 
the  hungry  people  were  made  to  sit  down  by  companies 
and  in  ranks  (vi.  39-40) ;  the  healing  of  the  blind  man 


34  ST.  MARK 

(viii.  22-26) ;  the  description  of  the  dumb  spirit  crying  out 
and  tearing  the  child,  and  so  coming  out  of  him  (ix.  26). 
Nor  should  we  omit  Mark's  version  of  the  story  of  the 
Transfiguration,  with  its  characteristic  representations  of 
the  dazzling,  lucent  robes  and  the  scenes  of  tumult  and 
anguish  beneath.  'As  you  gaze,'  says  Dean  Farrar,  'on 
Raffaelle's  immortal  picture  of  the  Transfiguration,  you 
will  see  at  once  that  it  is  from  the  narrative  of  St.  Mark 
that  it  derives  most  of  its  intensity,  its  movement,  its 
colouring,  its  contrast,  and  its  power.' 

This  Gospel  is  remarkable  also  for  a  certain  quality 
which,  for  lack  of  a  better  term,  may  be  called  its  7'ealism. 
Its  statements  of  events  are  not  merely  descriptive,  but 
realistic.  Things  are  given  as  if  the  eye  of  the  writer 
were  upon  the  objects  and  his  pen  followed  his  eye.  His 
narrative  has  a  circumstantial  character  which  shews  itself 
not  merely  in  its  large  effects,  but  in  a  multitude  of  minute 
touches.  It  is  reproduction  rather  than  representation. 
There  is  a  constant,  careful  regard  for  those  smaller 
points  which  help  to  make  a  scene  definite  and  distinct. 
It  is  the  Gospel  of  minuteness  and  detail.  It  gives  the 
particulars  of  persons,  times,  numbers,  positions,  and  the 
like.  It  speaks  of  Simon  of  Cyrene  as  'the  father  of 
Alexander  and  Rums'  (xv.  21) ;  of  Joseph  of  ArimathaDa 
as  'a  councillor  of  honourable  estate,  who  also  himself  was 
looking  for  the  kingdom  of  God '  (xv.  43) ;  of  Peter  as 
'warming  himself  at  the  fire,  and  going  out  'into  the 
porch'  immediately  before  the  cock  crew  (xiv.  67,  68).  It 
shews  us  the  swine  rushing  'down  the  steep  into  the  sea' 
and  tells  us  they  were  '  about  two  thousand '  in  number 
(v.  13).  It  notices  how  the  healed  demoniac  preached 
'  in  Decapolis '  (v.  20) ;  how  the  disciples  were  sent  forth 
'  two  and  two  '  (vi.  7) ;  how  the  centurion  '  stood  by  over 
against  Jesus '  (xv.  39) ;  how  the  young  man  was  seen 
'sitting  on  the  right  side'  in  the  tomb  (xvi.  5).  It 
describes  how,  on  the  occasion  of  the  miracle  of  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  the  people  were  made  to  sit 


INTRODUCTION  35 

down  'in  ranks,  by  hundreds,  and  by  fifties'  (vi.  40).  It 
gives  precise  indications  of  the  times  of  most  solemn 
moment  in  our  Lord's  life — how  he  went  to  pray,  rising 
up  'a  great  while  before  day'  (i.  35);  how  it  was  'the 
third  hour  when  they  crucified  him'  (xv.  25);  how  it 
was  'very  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,'  .  .  .  '  when 
the  sun  was  risen,'  that  the  women  came  to  his  sepulchre 
(xvi.  2).  It  is  not  less  exact  in  its  statements  of  the 
places  he  frequented  and  the  situations  in  which  he 
appeared.  It  tells  us  how  he  withdrew  'to  the  sea' 
(iii.  7);  how  he  'sat  in  the  sea'  (iv.  1);  how  he  was 
'  in  the  stern,  asleep  on  the  cushion '  (iv.  38) ;  how  he 
'sat  down  over  against  the  treasury'  (xii.  41);  how  he 
'sat  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  over  against  the  temple' 
(xiii.  3> 

Nor  is  it  only  the  incidents  themselves  that  Mark's 
Gospel  reproduces  in  this  distinct  and  circumstantial  way  ; 
it  does  the  same  in  many  cases  with  the  effects  produced 
by  the  events.  It  makes  us  sensible  of  the  impressions 
left  upon  the  spectators  and  hearers.  It  depicts  the 
iuo7ider  and  awe  with  which  Christ's  words  were  listened 
to  and  his  mighty  deeds  witnessed.  It  shews  us  the 
fear,  the  astonishment,  the  sore  amazement  of  the  disciples 
(iv.  41,  vi.  51,  x.  24,  26).  It  shews  us,  too,  the  eagerness, 
the  impetuosity,  the  unrestrained  insistence  of  the  people 
as  they  thro?iged  and  pressed  him  till  they  left  him  and 
those  with  him  scarce  room  to  stand,  or  sit  down,  or 
even  to  eat  (ii.  2,  iii.  10,  20,  32,  iv.  I,  v.  21,  31,  vi.  31,  33, 
viii.  1). 

Its  narrative  has  also  the  qualities  of  movement  and 
activity.  Though  it  does  not  confine  itself  entirely  to 
the  works  of  Jesus,  but  retains  a  certain  place  for  his 
words,  its  chief  concern,  nevertheless,  is  with  what  he  did 
and  what  he  experienced.  It  is  the  Gospel  primarily  of 
his  acts,  and  in  reporting  these  acts  it  proceeds  from  one 
to  another  in  a  rapid  and  direct  way.  It  has  little  in 
the  form  of  episode.     The  one  large  example  of  that  is 

D  2 


36  ST.  MARK 

the  explanatory  account  which  is  given  of  Herod  and  his 
relations  with  John  the  Baptist  (vi.  17-29).  It  has  little 
or  nothing  in  the  way  of  reflection.  It  makes  very  little 
attempt  to  shew  the  connexions  of  things,  or  to  link  one 
part  of  its  narrative  to  another  by  any  device  of  the 
literary  craftsman's  art.  It  begins  its  recital  with  little 
in  the  way  of  preface,  and  takes  up  at  once  its  proper 
subject — the  public  ministry  of  Christ.  And  its  report  of 
the  events  in  that  ministry  is  always  straight  and  swift. 
It  takes  us  from  one  thing  to  another  by  transitions  which 
seem  at  times  abrupt.  One  of  its  most  characteristic 
terms  is  the  word  '  immediately.'  For  one  occurrence  of 
that  word  in  Luke  we  have  five  in  Mark. 

This  Gospel  also  gives  a  special  view  of  him  who  is 
the  subject  of  all  the  Gospels.  Each  of  the  four  Gospels 
makes  its  characteristic  contribution  to  the  great  picture 
of  the  Saviour  of  Israel  and  the  world.  Each  has  its  own 
way  of  setting  forth  his  personality  and  his  life,  and 
Mark  has  his.  It  is  the  simplest  and  the  most  objective. 
He  does  not  dwell,  as  Matthew  does,  on  the  Messianic 
relations  of  Jesus  and  the  fulfilment  of  Old  Testament 
prophecy  in  his  life  and  ministry.  Neither  does  he 
make  it  his  primary  object,  as  Luke  does,  to  keep  before 
us  those  aspects  of  the  life  of  Jesus  and  his  intercourse 
with  different  types  of  humanity  which  shew  him  to  be 
a  Redeemer  suited  to  all  kinds  of  sinners,  a  friend  meant 
for  men  of  all  ranks,  nationalities,  and  characters.  Far 
less  does  he  exhibit  him  in  the  eternal  antecedents  of 
his  life  and  the  higher  mysteries  of  his  person,  as  John 
does.  All  these  things  are  in  his  Gospel,  but  they  are 
not  there  in  the  proportions  which  they  have  in  the 
others.  He  is  content  to  set  Jesus  before  us  just  as  he  had 
been  seen  moving  about  in  Galilee  and  Judaea,  a  man 
among  men,  mixing  freely  with  the  different  classes  of 
Jewish  people  to  be  found  in  these  parts,  doing  good 
continually,  performing  mighty  deeds,  and  speaking 
words  of  grace  which  impressed   them  with  the  sense 


INTRODUCTION  37 

that  he  was  a  prophet,  nay  more  than  a  prophet— the  Son 
of  God. 

The  story  of  this  sacred  life,  as  it  is  told  in  the  Second 
Gospel,  has  certain  features  which  are  less  prominent  in 
the  others.  It  has  a  special  interest,  for  example,  in  our 
Lord's  periods  of  retirement.  It  notices,  one  after  another, 
a  series  of  retreats  which  took  place  at  important  points 
in  his  public  ministry.  It  tells  us  how  he  withdrew  to 
'  a  desert  place '  after  the  first  deeds  of  healing  (i  35) ; 
to  'desert  places5  after  the  cleansing  of  the  leper  (i.  45) ; 
to  the  lake  after  the  restoration  of  the  man  with  the 
withered  hand  (iii.  7-13) ;  to  the  villages  after  his  re- 
jection at  Nazareth  (vi.  6) ;  to  '  a  desert  place '  after  the 
murder  of  the  Baptist  (vi.  30-32) ;  to  '  the  borders  of  Tyre 
and  Sidon '  after  the  opposition  of  the  party  of  the  Pharisees 
(vii.  24)  ;  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Cassarea  Philippi  after 
the  restoration  of  sight  to  the  blind  man  (viii.  27) ;  to 
the  range  of  Hennon  after  the  first  open  announcement 
of  his  coming  Passion  (ix.  2) ;  and  to  Bethany  after  his 
triumphal  entry  into  the  Holy  City  (xi.  1 1),  and  after  the 
purging  of  the  Temple  (xi.  19). 

It  preserves  for  us  also  more  of  the  words  of  Jesus  in  the 
original  vernacular  than  we  have  in  any  of  the  other  Gospels. 
The  list  includes  these — Boanerges  (iii.  17),  Talitha  cunil 
(v.  41),  Corban  (vii.  11),  Ephphatha  (vii.  34),  Bartimcetts 
(x.  46),  Abba  (xiv.  36),  Golgotha  (xv.  22),  Eloi !  Eloi!  lama 
sabachthani?  (xv.  34).  And  further,  it  has  a  peculiar  fond- 
ness for  noticing  how  our  Lord  acted,  looked,  and  com- 
ported himself.  On  not  a  few  occasions  it  carefully  records 
his  attitudes,  gestures,  and  movements.  It  brings  him 
before  us  as  he  ■  looked  round  about '  on  the  people  in 
the  synagogue  (iii.  5) ;  as  he  '  turned  him  about  in  the 
crowd  '  (v.  30) ;  and  again  as  he  was  '  turning  about,  and 
seeing  his  disciples'  (viii.  33)  ;  and  yet  again  as  he  'looked 
round  about  upon  all  things'  in  the  profaned  temple  (xi.  11). 
It  tells  us,  too,  how  he  '  sat  down,  and  called  the  Twelve ' 
(ix.  35) ;  how  he  '  looked  up  to  heaven '  when  he  took  the 


38  ST.  MARK 

loaves  and  the  fishes  on  the  occasion  of  the  miracle  of  the 
five  thousand  (vi.  41),  and  again  when  he  healed  the  deaf 
man  who  had  the  impediment  in  his  speech  (vii.  34).  When 
it  relates  the  incident  of  the  rich  young  ruler,  it  tells  us 
how  Jesus  'looking  upon  him  loved  him,'"  and  'looked  round 
about'  when  he  spoke  to  his  disciples  (x.  21,  23).  And 
when  it  speaks  of  the  Lord's  regard  for  children  it  tells  us 
how  on  one  occasion  he  'took  a  little  child'  and  set  him 
before  the  disputing  disciples,  and  'taking  him  in  his  arms,' 
spoke  to  them  (ix.  36) ;  and  how  on  another  occasion  he 
took  the  little  children  who  had  been  brought  to  him  that 
he  might  touch  them  'in  his  arms,  and  blessed  them,  laying 
his  hands  upon  them  '  (x.  16). 

This  Gospel,  therefore,  presents  Jesus  in  the  reality  of  his 
proper  and  complete  humanity.  It  exhibits  him  as  the 
bearer  of  a  nature  identical  with  our  own,  as  seen  in  the 
sense  of  hunger  (xi.  12),  the  need  of  rest  (iv.  38),  the  recoil 
from  death  (xiv.  36)  ;  and  not  in  these  things  only,  but 
also  in  the  feelings  which  he  had  in  common  with  us  —his 
compassion  (vi.  34,  viii.  2),  his  love  (x.  21),  his  serene 
composure  in  danger  and  in  trial  (iv.  37-40,  xv.  5),  his 
longing  for  solitude  (i.  35,  vi.  30-32),  his  wonder  (vi.  6), 
his  grief  (iii.  5),  his  sighing  (vii.  34,  viii.  12),  his  anger  and 
displeasure  (iii.  5,  x.  14). 

But  it  also  presents  him  in  his  superhuman  power. 
It  gives  a  large  place  to  his  deeds  of  might.  It  sets  him 
before  us  as  one  endowed  with  the  gift  of  miracle.  It 
shews  us  how  he  exercised  that  gift  on  suitable  occasion  ; 
what  an  impression  was  produced  by  it  both  upon  the 
people  and  upon  his  disciples  (i.  27,  ii.  12,  vii.  37) ;  how 
the  multitudes  recognized  it,  and  believed  in  it,  and  were 
eager  to  avail  themselves  of  it,  bringing  their  sick  and 
distressed  ones  to  him,  not  doubting  that  he  was  able  to 
relieve  and  heal ;  how  they  were  so  certain  indeed  of  this 
that  they  thought  it  enough  if  they  could  but  get  him  to 
notice  them,  or  could  even  touch  his  garments  (i.  32,  iii.  10, 
v.  28,  vi.  56). 


INTRODUCTION  39 

It  does  not  do  this  at  the  cost  of  other  facts  which 
appear  in  the  course  of  his  ministry.  It  frankly  records 
things  which  speak  rather  of  infirmity  and  a  limitation  of 
power.  It  reports  how  in  the  beginning  of  his  work  the 
unclean  spirits  resisted  him  (i.  24).  It  tells  us  that  in 
Nazareth  he  could  'do  no  mighty  work'  (vi.  5).  But 
it  brings  into  clear  relief  the  reality  and  the  energy  of 
a  power  resident  in  him  which  was  of  more  than  man's 
measure.  If  Matthew  presents  him  as  the  son  of  David 
and  the  son  of  Abraham,  in  whom  all  Israel's  hopes  are 
made  good ;  if  Luke  gives  us  to  see  in  him  the  son  of 
Adam,  the  perfect  Man,  the  Redeemer  for  all  mankind ;  and 
if  John  reveals  to  us  in  him  the  Eternal  Word  in  whom  is 
the  fullness  of  the  Godhead,  this  Second  Gospel  presents 
him  as  the  'man  approved  of  God  unto  you  by  mighty 
works  and  wonders  and  signs,  which  God  did  by  him  ' 
of  whom  Peter  spoke  (Acts  ii.  22),  '  the  Son  of  God  with 
power '  whom  Paul  declared  to  be  the  subject  of  his  gospel 
and  the  promise  of  the  prophets  (Rom.  i.  1-4). 

16.    Ancient  Testimonies  to  Mark's  Gospel. 

Reference  has  been  made  in  the  above  to  the  state- 
ments which  have  come  down  to  us  from  early  Christian 
literature  on  the  subject  of  Mark  and  his  Gospel.  It 
will  be  of  advantage  to  the  English  reader  to  have  the 
more  important  of  these  before  him  in  their  fullness. 
We  give  them  in  their  historical  order. 

I.  Papias.  Bishop  of  Hierapolis  in  Phrygia,  very  early 
in  the  second  century.  From  his  five  books  which  had 
the  title  of  Expositions  of  Oracles  of  the  Lord.  The 
sentences  are  preserved  for  us  in  the  Ecclesiastical 
History  of  Eusebius,  iii.  39.     They  run  as  follows: — 

'  Papias  also  gives  in  his  own  work  other  accounts  of  the 
words  of  the  Lord  on  the  authority  of  Aristion  who  has 
been  mentioned  above,  and  traditions  of  the  Elder  John. 
To  these  we  refer  the  curious,  and  for  our  present  purpose 
we  shall  merely  add  to  his  words,  which  have  been  quoted 


40  ST.  MARK 

above,  a  tradition  which  has  been  set  forth  through  these 
sources  concerning  Mark  who  wrote  the  Gospel : — 

"And  the  Elder  said  this  also:  Mark,  having  become 
the  interpreter  of  Peter,  wrote  down  accurately  everything 
that  he  remembered,  without  however  recording  in  order 
what  was  either  said  or  done  by  Christ.  For  neither  did 
he  hear  the  Lord,  nor  did  he  follow  him  ;  but  afterwards, 
as  I  said,  [attended]  Peter,  who  adapted  his  instructions 
to  the  needs  [of  his  hearers],  but  had  no  design  of  giving 
a  connected  account  of  the  Lord's  oracles.  So  then  Mark 
made  no  mistake,  while  he  thus  wrote  down  some  things 
as  he  remembered  them ;  for  he  made  it  his  own  care 
not  to  omit  anything  that  he  heard,  or  to  set  down  any 
false  statement  therein."  Such  then  is  the  account  given 
by  Papias  concerning  Mark'  (see  Gwatkin's  Selections 
from  Early  Christian  Writers,  pp.  42,  43). 

2.  Justin  Martyr.  First  half  of  the  second  century. 
From  his  Dialogue  with  Tryftho  the  Jew.  He  refers  to 
the  fact  that  our  Lord  gave  the  name  Peter  to  one  of 
his  Apostles,  and  the  name  Boanerges  to  two  others, 
namely,  James  and  John ;  of  which  two  facts  the  latter 
is  mentioned  by  Mark  alone.  In  doing  this  he  proceeds 
as  follows :  — 

'And  when  it  is  said  that  he  imposed  on  one  of  the 
Apostles  the  name  Peter,  and  when  this  is  recorded  in 
his  "  Memoirs,'3  with  this  other  fact  that  he  named  the 
two  sons  of  Zebedee  Boanerges,  which  means  Sons  of 
Thunder,  this  is  a  sign  that  it  was  he  by  whom  Jacob 
was  called  Israel  and  Auses,  Jesus  (Oshea,  Joshua).' 
As  Justin  elsewhere  speaks  of  the  'Memoirs  of  the 
Apostles,'  the  expression  'his  Memoirs'  in  the  above 
statement  is  taken  to  mean  '  Peter's  Memoirs.' 

3.  Irenoztis.  Bishop  of  Lyons.  The  latter  half  of  the 
second  century.  From  the  third  book  of  his  treatise 
Against  Heresies,  Chapter  I. 

He  says  of  the  Apostles,  that,  when  they  had  been 
clothed    with   the  power  of  the   Holy   Spirit  and  fully 


INTRODUCTION  41 

furnished  for  the  work  of  evangelization  everywhere,  they 
'  went  out  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  preaching  the  Gospel.' 
He  then  mentions  how  '  Matthew  went  eastward  to  those 
of  Hebrew  descent,  and  preached  to  them  in  their  own 
tongue,  in  which  he  also  published  a  writing  of  the 
Gospel,'  and  how  Peter  and  Paul  '  went  westward  and 
preached,  and  founded  the  church  in  Rome.'  He  then 
proceeds  thus :  — 

'  But  after  the  departure  of  these,  Mark  the  disciple 
and  interpreter  of  Peter,  even  he,  delivered  to  us  in 
writing  the  things  which  were  preached  by  Peter.' 

4.  Cleme?it  of 'Alexandria.  End  of  the  second  century 
and  beginning  of  the  third.  From  his  book  entitled 
Hypotyposes  or  Outlines.  The  passage  is  preserved  by 
Eusebius,  Eccles.  Hist.  vi.  14.     It  is  in  these  terms: — 

'The  occasion  for  writing  the  Gospel  according  to 
Mark  was  as  follows  :  That  after  Peter  had  publicly 
preached  the  word  in  Rome,  and  declared  the  Gospel 
by  the  Spirit,  many  who  were  present  entreated  Mark, 
as  one  who  had  followed  the  Apostle  for  long  time 
and  remembered  what  had  been  spoken,  to  commit  to 
writing  the  things  said ;  and  that  he,  having  composed 
the  Gospel,  made  it  over  to  those  who  asked  him ;  and 
that  Peter,  when  he  came  to  know  this,  did  nothing  in  the 
way  of  exhortation  either  to  prevent  or  to  encourage  it.' 

5.  Tertullian.  Of  Carthage.  About  the  same  time 
as  Clement.  From  his  book  Against  Jlfarcion,  iv.  5  ; 
published  about  207  or  208  A.D. 

He  mentions  the  four  Gospels,  and  refers  to  two  of 
them  as  being  from  '  apostles '  and  two  from  '  apostolical 
men.'  Then,  having  affirmed  the  authority  of  Luke's 
Gospel,  he  continues  thus  :  — 

'The  same  authority  of  the  Apostolic  Churches  will 
likewise  endorse  the  other  Gospels  which  we  have  in 
the  same  manner  by  their  means  and  according  to  them 
— I  mean  those  of  John  and  Matthew — while  that  which 
Mark  published   may  be  affirmed   to  be  Peter's,  whose 


42  ST.  MARK 

interpreter  Mark  was.  For  even  Luke's  form  of  the 
Gospel  men  usually  ascribe  to  Paul.  And  it  may  well 
seem  that  the  works  which  disciples  publish  belong  to 
their  masters.' 

6.  Origen.  Of  Alexandria.  The  early  part  of  the  third 
century.  From  his  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  acco?'ding 
to  Matthew. 

He  speaks  of  four  unchallenged  and  unchallengeable 
Gospels  as  received  throughout  the  Church,  and  with 
reference  to  the  one  in  question  he  expresses  himself 
thus : — 

'  The  second  of  them  is  that  according  to  Mark,  who 
composed  it  under  the  guidance  of  Peter,  who,  therefore, 
in  his  Catholic  Epistle  acknowledged  the  evangelist  as 
his  son,  saying,  The  co-elect  in  Babylon  saluteth  you,  arid 
Mark  my  son' 

7.  Eusebius.  The  Church  historian  of  Ca^sarea. 
About  the  close  of  the  third  century  and  the  beginning 
of  the  fourth.   From  his  Evangelical  Demonstration,  iii.  5. 

He  says  that  though  the  Apostle  Peter,  '  by  reason  of 
excess  of  modesty,  did  not  undertake  to  write  a  Gospel, 
it  had  yet  all  along  been  currently  reported  that  Mark, 
who  had  become  his  familiar  acquaintance  and  attendant, 
made  memoirs  of  his  discourses  concerning  the  doings 
of  Jesus.'  Then,  referring  to  the  fact  that  Mark's  Gospel 
gives  a  detailed  and  exact  account  of  Peter's  denial  of  his 
Lord,  he  proceeds  thus : — 

4  It  is  Mark  indeed  who  writes  these  things.  But  it  is 
Peter  who  testifies  them  concerning  himself;  for  all  the 
contents  of  Mark's  Gospel  are  regarded  as  memoirs  of 
Peter's  discourses.' 

In  his  Ecclesiastical  History,  Book  II.  ch.  xv,  the  same 
writer  makes  this  statement : — 

'So  greatly,  however,  did  the  splendour  of  piety  enlighten 
the  minds  of  Peter's  hearers  that  it  was  not  sufficient  to 
hear  but  once,  nor  to  receive  the  unwritten  doctrine  ot 
the  Gospel  of  God,  but  they  persevered  in  every  variety 


INTRODUCTION  43 

of  entreaties  to  solicit  Mark,  as  the  companion  of  Peter, 
and  whose  Gospel  we  have,  that  he  should  leave  them 
a  monument  of  the  doctrine  thus  orally  communicated 
in  writing".  Nor  did  they  cease  their  solicitations  until 
they  had  prevailed  with  the  man,  and  thus  become  the 
means  of  that  history  which  is  called  the  Gospel  according 
to  Mark.  They  say  also  that  the  Apostle  (Peter),  having 
ascertained  what  was  done  by  the  revelation  of  the  Spirit, 
was  delighted  with  the  zealous  ardour  expressed  by  these 
men,  and  that  the  history  obtained  his  authority  for  the 
purpose  of  being  read  in  the  churches.  This  account  is 
given  by  Clement  in  the  sixth  book  of  his  Institutions, 
whose  teaching  is  corroborated  also  by  that  of  Papias, 
Bishop  of  Hierapolis.  But  Peter  makes  mention  of  Mark 
in  his  first  Epistle,  which  he  is  also  said  to  have  composed 
at  the  same  city  of  Rome,  and  that  he  shews  this  fact 
by  calling  the  city  by  an  unusual  trope,  Babylon ;  thus  : 
'•The  Church  at  Babylon  elected  together  with  you. 
saluteth  you,  as  also  my  son  Marcus5"  (Bohn's  Tr.). 

And  in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  the  same  book  of  his 
History  Eusebius  expresses  himself  further  as  follows: — 

t  The  same  Mark,  they  also  say,  being  the  first  that  was 
sent  to  Egypt,  proclaimed  the  Gospel  there  which  he 
had  written,  and  first  established  churches  at  the  city  of 
Alexandria.  And  so  great  a  multitude  of  believers,  both 
of  men  and  women,  were  collected  there  at  the  very  out- 
set, that  in  consequence  of  their  extreme  philosophical 
discipline  and  austerity,  Philo  has  considered  their  pur- 
suits, their  assemblies,  and  entertainments,  and  in  short 
their  whole  manner  of  life,  as  deserving  a  place  in  his 
descriptions.' 

8.  Epiphanius.  Bishop  of  Constantia,  the  ancient 
Salamis  of  Cyprus,  an  opponent  of  Origen.  Born  early  in 
the  fourth  century,  died  early  in  the  fifth.  From  his 
Panarion  or  Drugchest,  a  work  in  which  he  described  and 
refuted  a  multitude  of  heresies.     His  testimony  is  this  : — 

1  But  immediately  after  Matthew,  Mark,  having  become 


44  ST.  MARK 

an  attendant  of  the  holy  Peter  in  Rome,  had  committed 
to  him  the  task  of  setting  forth  the  Gospel.  Having 
completed  his  work,  he  was  sent  by  the  holy  Peter  into 
the  country  of  the  Egyptians '  (see  Morrison's  Practical 
Commentary  on  the  Gosfiel  according  to  St.  Mark,  p.  20). 

9.  Jerome.  Born  at  Stridon  on  the  border  between 
Dalmatia  and  Pannonia,  about  340-342  a.  d.  ;  died  at 
Bethlehem  420  A.  D.  From  his  Catalogue  of  Illustrious 
Men  and  his  Letter  to  Hedibia. 

In  the  latter  he  says  that  Paul  had  'Titus  as  interpreter, 
as  also  the  blessed  Peter  had  Mark,  whose  Gospel  was 
composed,  Peter  narrating  and  he  writing.'  In  the 
former  he  speaks  to  this  effect : — 

'  Mark,  the  disciple  and  interpreter  of  Peter,  wrote  a 
brief  Gospel,  at  the  request  of  the  brethren  in  Rome,  in 
accordance  with  what  he  had  heard  related  by  Peter. 
This  Gospel,  when  it  was  read  over  to  Peter,  was  approved 
of  and  published  by  his  authority,  to  be  read  in  the 
churches.' 

10.  Augustine.  Bishop  of  Hippo.  Born  at  Tagaste 
in  Numidia  353  A.  D. ;  died  at  Hippo  in  North  Africa 
430  a.  D.  From  his  treatise  on  The  Harmony  of  the 
Evangelists. 

In  the  second  chapter  of  the  first  book  of  the  treatise  he 
discusses  the  order  of  the  Evangelists  and  the  principles 
on  which  they  wrote.  Having  spoken  of  Matthew  he 
proceeds  thus: — 

'Mark  follows  him  closely,  and  looks  like  his  atten- 
dant and  epitomizer.  For  in  his  narrative  he  gives 
nothing  in  concert  with  John  apart  from  the  others  ; 
by  himself  separately,  he  has  little  to  record  ;  in  con- 
junction with  Luke,  as  distinguished  from  the  rest,  he  has 
still  less ;  but  in  concord  with  Matthew,  he  has  a  very 
large  number  of  passages.  Much,  too,  he  narrates  in  words 
almost  numerically  and  identically  the  same  as  those  used 
by  Matthew,  where  the  agreement  is  either  with  that 
evangelist  alone,  or  with  him  in  conjunction  with  the  rest.' 


INTRODUCTION  45 


17.  Literature. 

In  addition  to  the  well-known  works  on  New  Testament 
Introduction,  Articles  in  the  Bible  Dictionaries,  &c,  the 
following  books  may  be  recommended  as  useful  for 
English  readers.  Those  entirely  in  English  are  marked 
with  an  asterisk. 

Meyer,  Critical  and  Exegetical  Handbook  to  the  Gospels  of 
Mark  and  Luke.     T.  &  T.  Clark's  translation. 

Ai.ford,  Greek  Testament,  vol.  i. 

*Riddle,  The  Gospel  of  Mark.  (Schaff's  Popular  Commentary 
on  the  New  Testament.') 

The  Expositor  s  Greek  Testament.  Vol.  i,  The  S3'noptic  Gospels, 
by  Professor  Bruce. 

*Morrison,  A  Practical  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  according 
to  St.  Mark. 

*Plumptre,  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and 
St.  Luke.  (Ellicott's  New  Testament  for  English  Readers, 
vol.  i.) 

Swete,  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Mark. 

Gould.  A  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary  on  the  Gospel 
according  to  St.  Mark.  (International  Critical  Com- 
mentary.) 

*Clarke,  Commentaiy  on  the  Gospel  of  Mark.  (American 
Baptist  Publication  Society.) 

*Lyman  Abbott,  The  New  Testament  with  Notes  and  Comments. 
Vol.  i,  Matthew  and  Mark. 

*Maclear,  Gospel  according  to  St.  Mark.  (The  Cambridge  Bible 
for  Schools  and  Colleges.) 

♦Lindsay,  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Mark.  (T.  &  T.  Clark, 
Handbooks  for  Bible  Classes.) 

*Solly,  The  Gospel  according  to  Mark.  (Carpenter's  Bible 
Manuals.) 

Allan  Menzies,  The  Earliest  Gospel. 


CONTENTS  AND  ANALYSIS 


I.  Ll.     Title. 

II.  i.  2-13.     Immediate  Antecedents  of  the  Public  Minis- 

try of  Jesus. 

The  Mission  of  John.  The  Baptism  of  Jesus.  The  Descent  of 
the  Spirit.  The  Heavenly  attestation.  The  Temptation 
of  Jesus. 

III.  i.   14 — vii.   23.     Ministry  in  Galilee,    Eastern   and 

North-Eastern . 
First  preaching.  Call  of  disciples.  A  Sabbath  in  Capernaum. 
Cure  of  a  demoniac,  restoration  of  Peter's  mother-in-law, 
divers  healings.  Prayer  in  a  solitary  place.  Preaching  in 
Galilean  synagogues.  Cure  of  leper.  Cure  and  forgive- 
ness of  paralytic.  Call  of  Levi  and  feast  in  his  house. 
Words  on  fasting.  Plucking  ears  of  corn,  and  statement 
of  Sabbath  Law.  Healing  of  man  with  withered  hand  in 
the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath.  Growing  acceptance  with 
the  people.  Appointment  of  the  Twelve.  Interference 
of  friends.  Accusations  of  Scribes  of  Jerusalem.  Words 
on  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  kinsfolk 
of  Jesus,  natural  and  spiritual.  Teaching  by  Parables — 
The  Sower,  the  Lamp,  the  Measure,  the  Fruit-bearing 
Earth,  the  Mustard  Seed.  The  Stilling  of  the  Storm.  The 
Gerasenes  and  the  demoniac  named  Legion.  The  healing 
of  the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood,  and  the  raising  of 
the  daughter  of  Jairus.  The  unbelief  of  those  of  his  own 
country.  His  village-teaching.  Mission  of  the  Twelve. 
The  story  of  Herod,  and  the  murder  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Retirement  of  the  Apostles  for  rest.  Feeding  of  the  Five 
Thousand.  Dispatch  of  the  disciples  to  Bethsaida.  Jesus 
in  prayer  on  the  mountain.  His  walking  on  the  Sea. 
Works  of  healing  in  the  district  of  Gennesaret.  Entang- 
ling questions  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  on  washings. 
Refutation  by  Jesus.     The  things  that  defile. 


CONTENTS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  47 

IV.  vii.  24—  viii.  26.     Detour  into  the  borders  of  Tyre 

and  Sidon,  and  Return. 

Healing  of  the  Syrophcenician  woman's  daughter.  Return 
to  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Cure  of  a  deaf  man  having  an 
impediment  of  speech.  Feeding  of  the  Four  Thousand. 
Demand  of  the  Pharisees  for  a  sign.  Warnings  against 
the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  leaven  of  Herod. 
Cure  of  the  blind  man  at  Bethsaida. 

V.  viii.  27 — ix.50.  Withdrawal  to  the  parts  about  Caesarea 

Fhilippi,  and  Return  to  North- Eastern  Galilee. 

Caesarea  Philippi  and  Peter's  confession.  Jesus  speaks  of 
his  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection.  Peter  rebuking 
and  being  rebuked.  Words  on  denial  of  self  and  saving 
of  the  soul.  The  Transfiguration.  Descent  from  the 
Mount,  and  words  on  the  coming  of  Elijah.  Cure  of 
a  boy  possessed  of  a  dumb  spirit.  Further  announcement 
by  Jesus  of  his  death  and  resurrection.  The  Twelve  and 
the  little  child  in  Capernaum.  Rebuke  of  John.  Warn- 
ings against  causes  of  stumbling. 

VI.  x.  1-52.     Withdrawal  into  Feraea,  and  Journey  into 

Judaea. 

Jesus  in  the  parts  beyond  Jordan.  Words  on  marriage  and 
divorce.  Rebuke  of  the  disciples,  and  the  blessing  of  little 
children.  The  rich  young  ruler.  Words  on  riches  and  the 
Kingdom,  and  on  sacrifice  and  reward.  Jesus  on  the  way 
to  Jerusalem.  More  particular  intimations  of  his  passion 
and  resurrection.  Ambitious  request  of  the  sons  of  Zebedec, 
and  indignation  of  the  disciples.  The  glory  of  service. 
At  Jericho.     Healing  of  blind  Bartimaeus. 

VII.  xi.  1 — xiii.  37.     Ministry  in  Jerusalem. 

Jesus  at  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Dispatch  of  two  disciples 
to  fetch  a  colt.  The  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem. 
Cursing  of  the  barren  fig-tree.  Purging  of  the  Temple. 
Words  on  the  might  of  faith.  Conflict  with  the  Jewish 
leaders.  Challenge  of  his  authority  in  the  Temple.  Par- 
able of  the  Vineyard.  Entangling  questions  regarding 
tribute  and  the  resurrection.  The  Scribe's  question  as  to 
the  first  of  all  the  Commandments.  The  question  of  Jesus 
concerning  David's  son.  Warning  against  the  Scribes. 
The  widow's  mites.  Prophetic  discourse  regarding  the 
fate  of  the  Temple  and  the  Cit}'.  The  things  of  the  end 
and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man.  Exhortations  to 
watchfulness. 


48  CONTENTS  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

VIII.  xiv.  1 — xv.  47.     Events  of  Passion  Week. 

Plot  of  the  Chief  Priests  and  Scribes.  The  anointing  in  the 
house  of  Simon  the  Leper.  The  bargain  between  Judas 
and  the  Chief  Priests.  The  preparation  for  the  Passover. 
Intimation  of  his  betrayal.  The  Lord's  Supper.  Predic- 
tion of  Peter's  faithlessness.  The  agony  in  Gethsemane. 
The  Betrayal.  The  incident  of  the  young  man.  Jesus 
before  the  High  Priest.  Peter's  denials.  Jesus  before 
Pilate.  Jesus  and  Barabbas.  The  purple  robe  and  the 
crown  of  thorns.  Simon  the  Cyrenian.  Golgotha  and 
the  Crucifixion.  The  darkness  over  the  land,  and  the 
death  of  Jesus.     Joseph  of  Arimathsea  and  the  burial. 

IX.  xvi.  1-8.     The  Resurrection. 

The  women  at  the  tomb.  Christ  risen.  The  message  to 
the  disciples  and  Peter. 

X.  xvi.  9-20.     Appendix  :    The  appearances  of  the  risen 

Lord. 

Appearance  to  Mary.  Appearance  to  two  disciples  on  the 
way.    Appearance  to  the  Eleven  at  meat.    The  Ascension. 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.  MARK 

AUTHORIZED  VERSION 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.    MARK 

1       The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,    chap,  l 
j  the  Son  of  God ;  as  it  is  written  in  the  prophets,       ~~~ 
Behold,   I  send    my  messenger   before  thy   face,  of  John. 

3  which  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee.  The 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  yc 
the  way   of  the    Lord,   make   his   paths  straight. 

4  John  did  baptize  in  the  wilderness,  and  preach 
the  baptism  of  repentance  for   the   remission  of 

5  sins.  And  there  went  out  unto  him  all  the  land 
of  Judaea,  and  they  of  Jerusalem,  and  were  all 
baptized  of  him  in  the  river  of  Jordan,  confessing 

C  their  sins.  And  John  was  clothed  with  camel's 
hair,  and  with  a  girdle  of  a  skin  about  his  loins ; 

7  and  he  did  eat  locusts  and  wild  honey ;  and 
preached,  saying,  There  cometh  one  mightier  than 
I  after  me,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not 

8  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  unloose.  I  indeed 
have  baptized  you  with  water  :  but  he  shall  baptize 
you  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

9  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  Jesus  Baptism 
came  from  Nazareth  of  Galilee,  and  was  baptized  of  Jesus- 

io  of  John  in  Jordan.     And  straightway  coming  up 

out  of  the  water,  he  saw  the  heavens  opened,  and 

ii  the  Spirit  like  a  dove  descending  upon  him:  a.nd 

L    2 


52 


ST.  MARK 


Chap,  l    there  came  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Thou  art 
my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 

And  immediately  the  spirit  driveth  him  into  the  12 
wilderness.     And  he  was  there  in  the  wilderness  13 
forty  days,  tempted  of  Satan ;    and  was  with  the 
wild  beasts ;  and  the  angels  ministered  unto  him. 

Now  after  that  John  was  put  in  prison,  Jesus  14 
came  into  Galilee,   preaching   the   gospel  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  saying,  The  time  is  fulfilled,  15 
and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand:   repent  ye, 
and  believe  the  gospel. 

Now  as  he  walked  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  saw  16 
Simon  and  Andrew  his  brother  casting  a  net  into 
the  sea:   for  they  were  fishers.     And  Jesus  said  17 
unto  them,  Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make 
you  to  become  fishers  of  men.     And  straightway 
they  forsook  their  nets,  and  followed  him.     And 
when  he  had  gone  a  little  farther  thence,  he  saw 
James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother, 
who  also  were  in  the    ship    mending  their  nets. 
And  straightway  he  called   them — and   they  left  20 
their  father  Zebedee  in  the  ship  with  the  hired 
servants,  and  went  after  him. 

And  they  went  into  Capernaum  ;  and  straightway  2 1 
on  the  sabbath  day  he  entered  into  the  synagogue, 
and  taught.  And  they  were  astonished  at  his 
doctrine :  for  he  taught  them  as  one  that  had 
authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes.  And  there  was 
in  their  synagogue  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit ; 
and  he  cried  out,  saying,  Let  us  alone ;  what  have  24 
we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  art 
thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  I  know  thee  who  thou 
art,  the  Holy  One  of  God.     And  Jesus  rebuked  25 


is 
19 


22 


23 


ST.  MARK  53 

him,  saying,  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come  out  of  him.    Chap.i 

26  And  when  the  unclean  spirit  had  torn  him,  and 

27  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  he  came  out  of  him.  And 
they  were  all  amazed,  insomuch  that  they  questioned 
among  themselves,  saying,  What  thing  is  this  ?  what 
new  doctrine  is  this?  for  with  authority  commandeth 
he  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they  do  obey  him. 

28  And  immediately  his  fame  spread  abroad  throughout 
all  the  region  round  about  Galilee. 

29  And  forthwith,  when  they  were  come  out  of  the  Peter's 
synagogue,  they  entered  into  the  house  of  Simon  la^.# 

30  and  Andrew,  with  James  and  John.  But  Simon's 
wife's  mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever,  and  anon  they 

31  tell  him  of  her.  And  he  came  and  took  her  by 
the  hand,  and  lifted  her  up ;  and  immediately  the 
fever  left  her,  and  she  ministered  unto  them. 

32  And  at  even,  when  the  sun  did  set,  they  brought  Divers 
unto  him  all  that  were  diseased,  and  them  that    ea  mgs' 

33  were  possessed  with  devils.     And  all  the  city  was 

34  gathered  together  at  the  door.  And  he  healed 
many  that  were  sick  of  divers  diseases,  and  cast 
out  many  devils ;  and  suffered  not  the  devils  to 
speak,  because  they  knew  him. 

35  And  in  the  morning,  rising  up  a  great  while  With- 
before  day,  he  went  out,  and  departed  into  a  solitary  a^oMary 

36  place,  and  there  prayed.     And  Simon   and  they  Plac^. 

37  that  were  with  him  followed  after  him.  And  when 
they  had  found  him,  they  said  unto  him,  All  men 

38  seek  for  thee.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Let  us  go 
into  the  next  towns,  that  I  may  preach  there  also : 

30  for  therefore  came  I  forth.  And  he  preached  in 
their  synagogues  throughout  all  Galilee,  and  cast 
out  devils. 


54  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  i         And  there  came  a  leper  to  him,  beseeching  him,  40 
Healing  of  and  kneeling  down  to  him,  and  saying  unto  him, 
a  leper.       jf  thou  wilt,   thou  canst   make  me  clean.     And  41 
Jesus,  moved  with  compassion,  put  forth  his  hand, 
and  touched  him,  and  saith  unto  him,  I  will ;  be 
thou   clean.      And   as   soon   as   he   had   spoken,  42 
immediately  the  leprosy  departed  from  him,  and 
he  was  cleansed.     And  he  straitly  charged  him,  4?, 
and  forthwith  sent  him  away ;  and  saith  unto  him,  44 
See  thou  say  nothing  to  any  man  :  but  go  thy  way, 
shew  thyself  to  the  priest,  and  offer  for  thy  cleans- 
ing those  things  which  Moses  commanded,  for  a 
testimony  unto  them.    But  he  went  out,  and  began  45 
to  publish  it  much,  and  to  blaze  abroad  the  matter, 
insomuch  that  Jesus  could  no  more  openly  enter 
into  the  city,  but  was   without  in  desert  places : 
and  they  came  to  him  from  every  quarter. 

And  again  he   entered    into   Capernaum   after    2 
some  days ;  and  it  was  noised  that  he  was  in  the 
house.      And    straightway    many    were    gathered    2 
together,    insomuch   that   there   was   no   room  to 
receive  them,  no,  not  so  much  as  about  the  door : 
and  he  preached  the  word  unto  them.     And  they    3 
come  unto  him,   bringing  one  sick  of  the  palsy, 
which  was  borne  of  four.     And  when  they  could    4 
not   come   nigh    unto    him    for   the    press,    they 
uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was  :  and  when  they 
had  broken  it  up,  they  let  down  the  bed  wherein 
the  sick  of  the  palsy  lay.     When  Jesus  saw  their    5 
faith,  he  said  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Son,  thy 
sins  be  forgiven  thee.     But  there  were  certain  of    6 
the  scribes   sitting  there,   and  reasoning  in  their 
hearts,  Why  doth  tin's  man  thus  speak  blasphemies  ?    7 


ST.  MARK  55 

8  who    can    forgive    sins     but    God    only  ?      And    Chap.  2 
immediately  when   Jesus  perceived   in   his  spirit 

that  they  so  reasoned  within  themselves,  he  said 
unto  them,  Why  reason  ye  these  things  in  your 

9  hearts  ?   Whether  is  it  easier  to  say  to  the  sick  of 
the  palsy,  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee ;   or  to  say, 

io  Arise,  and  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk?  But  that 
ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power 
on  earth  to  forgive  sins,  (he  saith  to  the  sick  of 

ir  the  palsy,)  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise,  and  take  up 

12  thy  bed,  and  go  thy  way  into  thine  house.  And 
immediately  he  arose,  took  up  the  bed,  and  went 
forth  before  them  all ;  insomuch  that  they  were 
all  amazed,  and  glorified  God,  saying,  We  never 
saw  it  on  this  fashion. 

13  And  he  went  forth  again  by  the  sea  side;  and  Call  of 
all  the  multitude  resorted  unto  him,  and  he  taught 

i\  them.  And  as  he  passed  by,  he  saw  Levi  the  son 
of  Alphreus  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  and 
said  unto  him,    Follow  me.     And  he  arose  and 

15  followed  him.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as 
Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  his  house,  many  publicans 
and  sinners  sat  also  together  with  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  :  for  there  were  many,  and  they  followed 

16  him.  And  when  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  saw 
him  eat  with  publicans  and  sinners,  they  said 
unto  his  disciples,  How  is  it  that  he  eateth  and 

17  drinketh  with  publicans  and  sinners?  When  Jesus 
heard  it,  he  saith  unto  them,  They  that  are  whole 
have  no  need  of  the  physician,  but  they  that  are 
sick :  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners 

to  renentance.  „      .. 

Question 

iS       And  the  disciples  of  John  and  of  the  Pharisees  of  fasting. 


56  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  2    used  to  fast :   and  they  come  and  say  unto  him, 
Why  do  the  disciples  of  John  and  of  the  Pharisees 
fast,  but  thy  disciples  fast  not?   And  Jesus  said  19 
unto  them,  Can  the  children  of  the  bridechamber 
fast,  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them?  as  long 
as   they   have   the    bridegroom   with   them,   they 
cannot  fast.     But  the  days  will  come,  when  the  20 
bridegroom  shall  be  taken  away  from  them,  and 
then  shall  they  fast  in  those  days.     No  man  also  21 
seweth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  on  an  old  garment : 
else  the  new  piece  that  filled  it  up  taketh  away 
from  the  old,  and  the  rent  is  made  worse.     And  22 
no  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old  bottles :   else 
the  new  wine  doth  burst  the  bottles,  and  the  wine 
is  spilled,  and  the  bottles  will  be  marred :  but  new 
wine  must  be  put  into  new  bottles. 
Question        And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  went  through  the  23 
bath  law?*  corn  fields  on  the  sabbath  day ;  and  his  disciples 
began,  as  they  went,  to  pluck  the  ears  of  corn. 
And  the  Pharisees  said  unto  him,  Behold,  why  24 
do  they  on  the  sabbath    day  that  which  is  not 
lawful?   And  he  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  never  25 
read  what  David  did,  when  he  had  need,  and  was 
an  hungred,  he,  and  they  that  were  with  him? 
How  he  went  into  the  house  of  God  in  the  days  26 
of   Abiathar   the    high    priest,    and   did    eat   the 
shewbread,  which  is  not  lawful  to  eat  but  for  the 
priests,  and  gave  also  to  them  which  were  with 
him?  And  he  said  unto  them,  The  sabbath  was  27 
made  for  man,   and   not    man    for   the   sabbath : 
therefore   the   Son  of  man  is  Lord   also   of  the  2S 
Man  with    sabbath. 

"withered  i 

hand.  And  he  entered  again  into  the  synagogue ;  and    3 


ST.  MARK  57 

there  was  a  man  there  which  had  a  withered  hand.     Chap.  3 
2  And  they  watched  him,  whether  he  would  heal 

him  on  the  sabbath  day  ;   that  they  might  accuse 
S  him.     And  he  saith  unto  the  man  which  had  the 

4  withered  hand,  Stand  forth.  And  he  saith  unto 
them,  Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  sabbath  days, 
or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,  or  to  kill  ?   But  they 

5  held  their  peace.  And  when  he  had  looked  round 
about  on  them  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts,  he  saith  unto  the  man, 
Stretch  forth  thine  hand.  And  he  stretched  it 
out :    and   his    hand   was   restored  whole  as   the 

6  other.  And  the  Pharisees  went  forth,  and  straight- 
way took  counsel  with  the  Herodians  against  him, 
how  they  might  destroy  him. 

7  But  Jesus  withdrew  himself  with  his  disciples  Extending 
to  the  sea :    and  a  great  multitude  from  Galilee  je™uS°f 

8  followed  him,  and  from  Judaea,  and  from  Jerusalem, 
and  from  Idumaea,  and  from  beyond  Jordan ;  and 
they  about  Tyre  and  Sidon,  a  great  multitude, 
when  they  had  heard  what  great  things  he  did, 

9  came  unto  him.  And  he  spake  to  his  disciples, 
that  a  small  ship  should  wait  on  him  because  of 

io  the  multitude,  lest  they  should  throng  him.  For 
he  had  healed  many ;  insomuch  that  they  pressed 
upon  him  for  to  touch  him,  as  many  as  had  plagues. 

t  r  And  unclean  spirits,  when  they  saw  him,  fell  down 
before  him,  and  cried,  saying,  Thou  art  the  Son 

T2  of  God.  And  he  straitly  charged  them  that  they 
should  not  make  him  known. 

13       And  he  goeth  up  into  a  mountain,  and  calleth  Choice 
unto  him  whom  he  would :  and  they  came  unto  Twelve. 

r.f  him.     And  he  ordained  twelve,  that  they  should 


53 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  3    be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send  them  forth 

to  preach,  and  to  have  power  to  heal  sicknesses,  15 
and  to  cast  out  devils :   and  Simon  he  surnamed  16 
Peter;   and  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  17 
the  brother  of  James ;    and   he  surnamed   them 
Boanerges,  which  is,  The  sons  of  thunder:    and  18 
Andrew,  and  Philip,  and  Bartholomew,  and  Matthew, 
and  Thomas,  and  James  the  son  of  Alphreus,  and 
Thaddasus,  and  Simon  the  Canaanite,  and  Judas  19 
Iscariot,  which  also  betrayed  him  :  and  they  went 
into  an  house. 

And  the  multitude  cometh  together  again,   so  20 
that  they  could  not  so  much  as  eat  bread.     And  21 
when  his  friends  heard  of  it,  they  went  out  to  lay 
hold  on  him :   for  they  said,  He  is  beside  himself. 
x\nd  the  scribes  which  came  down  from  Jerusalem  22 
said,  He  hath  Beelzebub,  and  by  the  prince  of  the 
devils  casteth  he  out  devils.     And  he  called  them  23 
unto  him,  and  said  unto  them  in  parables,  How 
can  Satan  cast  out  Satan  ?   And  if  a  kingdom  be  24 
divided  against  itself,  that  kingdom  cannot  stand. 
And  if  a  house  be  divided  against  itself,  that  house  25 
cannot  stand.    And  if  Satan  rise  up  against  himself,   26 
and  be  divided,  he  cannot  stand,  but  hath  an  end. 
No  man  can  enter  into  a  strong  man's  house,  and  27 
spoil  his  goods,  except  he  will  first  bind  the  strong 
man ;  and  then  he  will  spoil  his  house.     Verily  1  28 
say  unto  you,  All  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto  the 
sons  of  men,  and   blasphemies  wherewith   soever 
they  shall  blaspheme  :  but  he  that  shall  blaspheme  29 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  never  forgiveness,  but 
is  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation  :   because  they  30 
said,  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit. 


ST.  MARK  59 

31  There  came  then  his  brethren  and  his  mother,    Chap.  3 
and,  standing  without,  sent  unto  him,  calling  him.  Question 

32  And  the  multitude  sat  about  him,  and  they  said  j*""; 
unto  him,  Behold,  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  Jesus. 

33  without  seek  for  thee.     And  he  answered  them, 

34  saying,  Who  is  my  mother,  or  my  brethren?  And 
he  looked  round  about  on  them  which  sat  about 
him,  and  said,  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren  ! 

35  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same 
is  my  brother,  and  my  sister,  and  mother. 

4       And  he  began  again  to  teach  by  the  sea  side :  |^rle  of 
and  there  was  gathered  unto  him  a  great  multitude, 
so  that  he  entered  into  a  ship,  and  sat  in  the  sea ; 
and  the  whole  multitude  was  by  the  sea  on  the 

2  land.    And  he  taught  them  many  things  by  parables, 

3  and   said  unto  them  in   his   doctrine,   Hearken; 

4  Behold,  there  went  out  a  sower  to  sow:  and  it 
came  to  pass,  as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the  way 
side,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air  came  and  devoured 

5  it  up.  And  some  fell  on  stony  ground,  where  it 
had  not  much  earth  ;   and  immediately  it  sprang 

r>  up,  because  it  had  no  depth  of  earth :  but  when 
the  sun  was  up,  it  was  scorched  ;  and  because  it 

7  had  no  root,  it  withered  away.  And  some  fell 
among  thorns,  and  the  thorns  grew  up,  and  choked 

8  it,  and  it  yielded  no  fruit.  And  other  fell  on  good 
ground,  and  did  yield  fruit  that  sprang  up  and 
increased;    and    brought   forth,   some  thirty,   and 

q  some  sixty,  and  some  an  hundred.  And  he  said 
unto  them,  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear.  Explana- 

10       And  when  he  was  alone,  they  that  were  about  £°na°^e 
him   with   the   twelve   asked   of  him   the   parable.  ofSower. 


, 


60  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  4    And  he  said  unto  them,  Unto  you  it  is  given  to  n 
know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God :   but 
unto  them  that  are  without,  all  these  things  are 
done  in  parables :   that  seeing  they  may  see,  and  1 2 
not  perceive;    and  hearing   they  may   hear,  and 
not  understand ;   lest  at  any  time  they  should  be 
converted,  and  their  sins  should  be  forgiven  them. 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Know  ye  not  this  parable?  13 
and   how  then  will  ye  know  all  parables?    The  14 
sower  soweth  the  word.     And  these  are  they  by  15 
the  way  side,  where  the  word  is  sown ;  but  when 
they  have  heard,  Satan  cometh  immediately,  and 
taketh  away  the  word  that  was  sown  in  their  hearts. 
And  these  are  they  likewise  which  are  sown  on  16 
stony  ground;    who,   when  they  have  heard  the 
word,  immediately  receive  it  with  gladness ;    and  1 7 
have  no  root  in  themselves,  and  so  endure  but  for 
a  time :  afterward,  when  affliction  or  persecution 
ariseth  for  the  word's  sake,  immediately  they  are 
offended.     And   these  are   they  which   are  sown  18 
among  thorns  ;   such  as  hear  the  word,  and  the  19 
cares  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches, 
and  the  lusts  of  other  things  entering  in,  choke 
the  word,  and  it  becometh  unfruitful.     And  these  20 
are  they  which  are  sown  on  good  ground ;  such  as 
hear  the  word,  and  receive  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit, 
some  thirtyfold,  some  sixty,  and  some  an  hundred. 

And  he  said  unto  them,  Is  a  candle  brought  to  2  r 
be  put  under  a  bushel,  or  under  a  bed  ?   and  not 
to  be  set  on  a  candlestick?   For  there  is  nothing  22 
hid,  which  shall  not  be  manifested;   neither  was 
any  thing  kept  secret,   but   that  it  should  come 
abroad.     If  any  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  23 


ST.  MARK  61 

24  hear.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Take  heed  what    chap.  4 
ye  hear :   with  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be 
measured   to  you  :    and  unto  you  that  hear  shall 

25  more  be  given.  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be 
given  :  and  he  that  hath  not,  from  him  shall  be 
taken  even  that  which  he  hath. 

26  And  he  said,  So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  Parable 

27  a  man  should   cast   seed    into  the  ground;    and  Jearr^g 
should  sleep,   and   rise   night   and   day,   and  the  earth, 
seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth  not 

28  how.  For  the  earth  bringeth  forth  fruit  of  herself; 
first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn 

29  in  the  ear.  But  when  the  fruit  is  brought  forth, 
immediately  he  putteth  in  the  sickle,  because  the 
harvest  is  come. 

30  And   he   said,   Whereunto   shall   we   liken   the  Parable  of 
kingdom  of  God  ?    or  with  what  comparison  shall  Jj|£Jtard 

3 1  we  compare  it  ?  It  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
which,  when  it  is  sown  in  the  earth,  is  less  than 

32  all  the  seeds  that  be  in  the  earth  :  but  when  it  is 
sown,  it  groweth  up,  and  becometh  greater  than 
all  herbs,  and  shooteth  out  great  branches  ;  so 
that  the  fowls  of  the  air  may  lodge  under  the 
shadow  of  it. 

33  And  with   many  such   parables   spake   he   the  Use  of 
word   unto  them,   as  they   were  able  to   hear  it.  Parables* 

34  But  without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto  them  : 
and  when  they  were  alone,  he  expounded  all 
things  to  his  disciples. 

35  And  the  same  day,  when  the  even  was  come,  stilling  of 
he  '  aith  unto  them,  Let  us  pass  over  unto  the  theTake? 

36  other  side.  And  when  they  had  sent  away  the 
1     "titude,    they   took    him   even   as    he    was    in 


62  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  4    the  ship.     And  there  were  also  with  him  other 

little  ships.     And   there   arose  a   great   storm   of  37 
wind,  and  the  waves  beat  into  the  ship,  so  that  it 
was  now  full.     And  he  was  in  the  hinder  part  of  3S 
the  ship,  asleep  on  a  pillow :  and  they  awake  him, 
and  say  unto  him,  Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we 
perish  ?  And  he  arose,  and  rebuked  the  wind,  and  39 
said  unto  the  sea,  Peace,  be  still.     And  the  wind 
ceased,  and  there  was  a  great  calm.     And  he  said  40 
unto  them,  Why  are  ye  so  fearful  ?   how  is  it  that 
ye  have  no  faith?    And  they  feared  exceedingly,  41 
and  said  one  to  another,  What  manner  of  man  is 
this,  that  even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him  ? 

And  they  came  over   unto  the  other  side  of    5 
the  sea,  into  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes.     And    2 
when  he  was  come  out  of  the  ship,  immediately 
there  met  him  out  of  the  tombs  a  man  with  an 
unclean  spirit,  who  had  his  dwelling   among  the    3 
tombs ;  and  no  man  could  bind  him,  no,  not  with 
chains :    because  that  he  had   been   often   bound    4 
with  fetters  and  chains,  and  the  chains  had  been 
plucked  asunder  by  him,  and  the  fetters  broken 
in  pieces  :  neither  could  any  man  tame  him.     And    5 
always,  night  and  day,  he  was  in  the  mountains, 
and  in  the  tombs,  crying,  and  cutting  himself  with 
stones.     But  when  he  saw  Jesus  afar  off,  he  ran    6 
and  worshipped  him,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,     7 
and  said,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou 
Son  of  the  most  high  God  ?  I  adjure  thee  by  God, 
that  thou  torment  me  not.     For  he  said  unto  him,    s 
Come  out  of  the  man,  thou  unclean  spirit.     And    9 
he  asked  him,  What  is  thy  name  ?  And  he  answered, 
saying,   My  name  is  Legion  ;    for  we  are  many. 


ST.  MARK  63 

10  And   he   besought  him  much   that   he  wuuld  not    chap. 5 
n  send  them  away  out  of  the  country.     Now  there 
was  there  nigh  unto  the  mountains  a  great  herd 

12  of  swine  feeding.  And  all  the  devils  besought 
him,  saying,  Send  us  into  the  swine,  that  we  may 

13  enter  into  them.  And  forthwith  Jesus  gave  them 
leave.  And  the  unclean  spirits  went  out,  and 
entered  into  the  swine :  and  the  herd  ran  violently 
down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea,  (they  were  about 

14  two  thousand  ;)  and  were  choked  in  the  sea.  And 
they  that  fed  the  swine  fled,  and  told  it  in  the  city, 
and  in  the  country.     And   they  went  out  to  see 

15  what  it  was  that  was  done.  And  they  come  to 
Jesus,  and  see  him  that  was  possessed  with  the 
devil,  and  had  the  legion,  sitting,  and  clothed, 
and   in   his   right   mind :    and  they   were   afraid. 

16  And  they  that  saw  it  told  them  how  it  befell  to 
him  that  was  possessed  with  the  devil,  and  also 

17  concerning  the  swine.     And  they  began  to  pray 
iS  him  to  depart  out  of  their  coasts.     And  when  he 

was  come  into  the  ship,  he  that  had  been  possessed 
with  the  devil  prayed  him  that  he  might  be  with 

19  him.  Howbeit  Jesus  suffered  him  not,  but  saith 
unto  him,  Go  home  to  thy  friends,  and  tell  them 
how  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and 

20  hath  had  compassion  on  thee.  And  he  departed, 
and  began  to  publish  in  Decapolis  how  great  things 
Jesus  had  done  for  him  :  and  all  men  did  marvel. 

2 1  And  when  Jesus  was  passed  over  again  by  ship  Appeal 
unto  the  other  side,  much  people  gathered  unto  °  Jaxrus* 

22  him  :  and  he  was  nigh  unto  the  sea.  And,  behold, 
there  cometh  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue, 
Jairus  by  name;   and  when  he  saw  him,  he  fell  at 


64  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  5    his  feet,  and   besought  him   greatly,  saying,   My  23 
little  daughter  lieth  at  the  point  of  death :  I  pray 
thee,  come  and  lay  thy  hands  on  her,  that  she  may 
be  healed ;  and  she  shall  live.     And  Jesus  went  24 
with  him ;   and  much  people  followed  him,  and 
thronged  him. 
Woman  And  a  certain  woman,  which  had  an  issue  of  25 

ofbiood"6  bl°°d  twelve  years,  and  had  suffered  many  things  26 
of  many  physicians,   and  had  spent  all  that  she 
had,  and  was  nothing  bettered,  but  rather  grew 
worse,  when  she  had  heard  of  Jesus,  came  in  the  27 
press  behind,  and  touched  his  garment.     For  she  28 
said,  If  I  may  touch  but  his  clothes,  I  shall  be 
whole.     And  straightway  the  fountain  of  her  blood  29 
was  dried  up;  and  she  felt  in  her  body  that  she 
was  healed  of  that  plague.    And  Jesus,  immediately  30 
knowing  in  himself  that  virtue  had  gone  out  of  him, 
turned  him  about  in  the  press,   and   said,  Who 
touched  my  clothes?  And  his  disciples  said  unto  31 
him,  Thou  seest  the  multitude  thronging  thee,  and 
sayest  thou,  Who  touched  me?    And  he  looked  32 
round  about  to  see  her  that  had  done  this  thing. 
But  the  woman  fearing  and  trembling,  knowing  33 
what  was  done  in  her,  came  and  fell  down  before 
him,  and  told  him  all  the  truth.     And  he  said  34 
unto   her,    Daughter,    thy   faith   hath   made   thee 
whole ;  go  in  peace,  and  be  whole  of  thy  plague. 

While  he  yet  spake,  there  came  from  the  ruler  35 
of  the  synagogue's  house  certain  which  said,  Thy 
daughter  is  dead :   why  troublest  thou  the  Master 
any  further?   As  soon  as  Jesus  heard  the  word  36 
that  was  spoken,  he  saith  unto  the  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  Be  not  afraid,  only  believe.     And  he  37 


ST.  MARK  65 

suffered  no  man  to  follow  him,  save  Peter,  and    Chap.  5 

38  James,  and  John  the  brother  of  James.  And  he 
cometh  to  the  house  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue, 
and  seeth  the  tumult,  and  them  that  wept  and 

39  wailed  greatly.  And  when  he  was  come  in,  he 
saith  unto  them,  Why  make  ye  this  ado,  and 
weep?    the   damsel    is   not    dead,    but    sleepeth. 

40  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  But  when  he 
had  put  them  all  out,  he  taketh  the  father  and 
the  mother  of  the  damsel,  and  them  that  were 
with  him,  and  entereth  in  where  the  damsel  was 

41  lying.  And  he  took  the  damsel  by  the  hand, 
and  said  unto  her,  l"alitha  cumi ;  which  is,  being 

42  interpreted,  Damsel,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise.  And 
straightway  the  damsel  arose,  and  walked ;  for  she 
was  of  the  age  of  twelve  years.     And  they  were 

43  astonished  with  a  great  astonishment.  And  he 
charged  them  straitly  that  no  man  should  know 
it ;  and  commanded  that  something  should  be 
given  her  to  eat. 

6       And  he  went  out  from  thence,  and  came  into  Rejection 
his  own   country ;    and   his  disciples  follow  him.  country^" 

2  And  when  the  sabbath  day  was  come,  he  began 
to  teach  in  the  synagogue :  and  many  hearing 
him  were  astonished,  saying,  From  whence  hath 
this  man  these  things?  and  what  wisdom  is  this 
which  is  given  unto  him,  that  even  such  mighty 

3  works  are  wrought  by  his  hands?  Is  not  this  the 
carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary,  the  brother  of  James, 
and  Joses,  and  of  Juda,  and  Simon  ?  and  are  not 
his  sisters  here  with  us  ?  And  they  were  offended 

4  at  him.  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  A  prophet  is 
not  without  honour,  but  in  his  own  country,  and 

F 


66  ST.  MARK 

Chap,  e    among  his  own  kin,  and  in  his  own  house.     And    5 
he  could  there  do  no  mighty  work,  save  that  he 
laid  his  hands  upon  a  few  sick  folk,  and  healed 
them.    And  he  marvelled  because  of  their  unbelief.    6 
And  he  went  round  about  the  villages,  teaching. 

And  he  called  unto  him  the  twelve,  and  began    7 
to  send  them  forth  by  two  and  two;    and  gave 
them  power  over  unclean  spirits ;  and  commanded    8 
them   that    they    should    take   nothing    for    their 
journey,  save  a  staff  only ;  no  scrip,  no  bread,  no 
money  in  their  purse :   but  be  shod  with  sandals ;    9 
and   not   put   on  two  coats.     And  he  said  unto  10 
them,  In  what  place  soever  ye  enter  into  an  house, 
there  abide  till  ye  depart  from  that  place.     And  11 
whosoever  shall  not  receive  you,  nor  hear  you, 
when  ye  depart  thence,  shake  off  the  dust  under 
your  feet  for  a  testimony  against  them.     Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom 
and  Gomorrha  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for 
that  city.     And  they  went  out,  and  preached  that  12 
men    should   repent.     And    they   cast   out   many  13 
devils,  and  anointed  with  oil  many  that  were  sick, 
and  healed  them. 
Herod  and      And  king  Herod  heard  of  him  ;   (for  his  name  14 
onheUrder  was  sPread  abroad :)   and  he  said,  That  John  the 
Baptist.      Baptist  was  risen  from   the  dead,   and   therefore 
mighty  works  do  shew  forth  themselves  in   him. 
Others  said,  That  it  is   Elias.     And  others  said,  15 
That  it  is  a  prophet,  or  as  one  of  the  prophets. 
But  when  Herod  heard  thereof  he  said,  It  is  John,   16 
whom   I   beheaded:    he  is  risen  from  the  dead. 
For  Herod  himself  had  sent  forth  and  laid  hold  17 
upon  John,  and  bound  him  in  prison  for  Herodias7 


ST.  MARK  67 

sake,  his  brother  Philip's  wife :   for  he  had  married    Chap,  e 
iS  her.     For  John  had  said  unto   Herod,  It  is  not 

19  lawful  for  thee  to  have  thy  brother's  wife.  There- 
fore  Herodias   had   a   quarrel    against   him,    and 

20  would  have  killed  him ;  but  she  could  not :  for 
Herod  feared  John,  knowing  that  he  was  a  just 
man  and  an  holy,  and  observed  him ;  and  when 
he  heard    him,   he    did   many    things,   and  heard 

21  him  gladly.  And  when  a  convenient  day  was 
come,  that  Herod  on  his  birthday  made  a  supper 
to  his  lords,  high  captains,  and  chief  estates  of 

22  Galilee;  and  when  the  daughter  of  the  said 
Herodias  came  in,  and  danced,  and  pleased 
Herod  and  them  that  sat  with  him,  the  king  said 
unto  the  damsel,  Ask  of  me  whatsoever  thou  wilt, 

23  and  I  will  give  it  thee.  And  he  sware  unto  her, 
Whatsoever  thou  shalt  ask  of  me,  I  will  give  it 

24  thee,  unto  the  half  of  my  kingdom.  And  she 
went  forth,  and  said  unto  her  mother,  What  shall 
I   ask?     And   she  said,  The   head   of  John    the 

25  Baptist  And  she  came  in  straightway  with  haste 
unto  the  king,  and  asked,  saying,  I  will  that  thou 
give  me  by  and  by  in  a  charger  the  head  of  John 

26  the  Baptist.  And  the  king  was  exceeding  sorry ; 
yet  for  his  oath's  sake,  and  for  their  sakes  which 

27  sat  with  him,  he  would  not  reject  her.  And 
immediately  the  king  sent  an  executioner,  and 
commanded  his  head  to  be  brought :  and  he  went 

28  and  beheaded  him  in  the  prison,  and  brought  his 
head  in  a   charger,  and  gave    it  to   the  damsel : 

29  and  the  damsel  gave  it  to  her  mother.  And 
when  his  disciples  heard  of  it,  they  came  and 
took  up  his  corpse,  and  laid  it  in  a  tomb. 

f  2 


68  ST.  MARK 

Chap,  e        And  the  apostles  gathered  themselves  together  30 
Feeding  of unto  Jesus,  and   told  him  all   things,  both   what 
the  5,000.   they  had  done,  and  what  they  had  taught.     And  31 
he   said   unto   them,   Come   ye   yourselves   apart 
into  a  desert  place,  and  rest  a  while :   for  there 
were  many  coming  and  going,  and  they  had  no 
leisure  so  much  as  to  eat.     And  they  departed  32 
into  a  desert  place  by  ship  privately.     And  the  33 
people  saw  them  departing,  and  many  knew  him, 
and  ran  afoot  thither  out  of  all  cities,  and  outwent 
them,  and  came  together  unto  him.     And  Jesus,   34 
when   he   came   out,  saw  much  people,  and   was 
moved   with    compassion    toward    them,  because 
they  were  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd  :  and 
he  began  to  teach  them  many  things.     And  when  35 
the  day  was  now  far  spent,  his  disciples  came  unto 
him,  and  said,  This  is  a  desert  place,  and  now  the 
time  is  far  passed :    send   them  away,  that  they  36 
may  go  into  the  country  round  about,  and  into 
the  villages,  and  buy  themselves  bread :   for  they 
have  nothing  to  eat.     He  answered  and  said  unto  37 
them,  Give  ye  them  to  eat.     And  they  say  unto 
him,  Shall  we  go  and  buy  two  hundred  pennyworth 
of  bread,  and  give  them  to  eat?     He  saith  unto  38 
them,  How  many  loaves  have  ye?  go  and  see. 
And  when   they   knew,  they   say,  Five,  and   two 
fishes.     And  he  commanded  them   to   make  all  39 
sit   down   by   companies   upon   the  green   grass. 
And  they  sat  down  in  ranks,  by  hundreds,  and  40 
by   fifties.      And   when    he    had   taken   the   five  41 
loaves  and  the  two  fishes,  he  looked  up  to  heaven, 
and  blessed,  and  brake  the  loaves,  and  gave  them 
to  his  disciples  to  set  before  them ;  and  the  two 


ST.  MARK  69 

42  fishes   divided   he   among   them   all.      A\nd   they    Chap.  6 

43  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled.  And  they  took  up 
twelve  baskets  full  of  the  fragments,  and  of  the 

44  fishes.  And  they  that  did  eat  of  the  loaves  were 
about  five  thousand  men. 

45  And  straightway  he  constrained  his  disciples  to  Walking 
get  into  the  ship,  and  to  go  to  the   other   side  on    esea* 
before   unto   Bethsaida,  while  he   sent   away   the 

46  people.     And  when  he  had  sent  them  away,  he 

47  departed  into  a  mountain  to  pray.  And  when 
even  was  come,  the  ship  was  in  the  midst  of  the 

48  sea,  and  he  alone  on  the  land.  And  he  saw  them 
toiling  in  rowing ;  for  the  wind  was  contrary  unto 
them  :  and  about  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night 
he  cometh  unto  them,  walking  upon  the  sea,  and 

49  would  have  passed  by  them.  But  when  they 
saw   him   walking   upon    the   sea,  they   supposed 

50  it  had  been  a  spirit,  and  cried  out :  for  they  all 
saw  him,  and  were  troubled.  And  immediately  he 
talked   with   them,  and   saith    unto   them,  Be   of 

51  good  cheer :  it  is  I ;  be  not  afraid.  And  he  went 
up  unto  them  into  the  ship  ;  and  the  wind  ceased  : 
and  they  were  sore  amazed  in  themselves  beyond 

52  measure,  and  wondered.  For  they  considered  not 
the  miracle  of  the  loaves :  for  their  heart  was 
hardened. 

53  And  when   they  had   passed    over,  they   came  works  of 
into   the   land   of  Gennesaret,  and   drew   to   the  Genne- 

54  shore.     And  when  they  were  come  out  of  the  ship,  saret- 

55  straightway  they  knew  him,  and  ran  through  that 
whole  region  round  about,  and  began  to  carry 
about  in   beds  those  that  were  sick,  where  they 

56  heard   he  was.     And   whithersoever   he    entered. 


7o  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  6  into  villages,  or  cities,  or  country,  they  laid  the 
sick  in  the  streets,  and  besought  him  that  they 
might  touch  if  it  were  but  the  border  of  his 
garment :  and  as  many  as  touched  him  were 
made  whole. 

Then  came  together  unto  him  the  Pharisees,    7 
and    certain    of   the    scribes,   which    came    from 
Jerusalem.      And   when    they    saw   some    of  his     2 
disciples  eat   bread  with  defiled,  that  is   to   say, 
with    unwashen,    hands,    they   found   fault.      For    3 
the  Pharisees,  and  all  the  Jews,  except  they  wash 
their  hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of 
the  elders.    And  when  they  come  from  the  market,     4 
except  they  wash,  they  eat  not.     And  many  other 
things  there  be,  which  they  have  received  to  hold, 
as  the  washing  of  cups,  and  pots,  brasen  vessels, 
and  of  tables.     Then  the  Pharisees  and  scribes     5 
asked  him,  Why  walk  not  thy  disciples  according 
to  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  but  eat  bread  with 
unwashen   hands?    He  answered  and   said  unto    6 
them,    Well     hath     Esaias    prophesied     of    you 
hypocrites,  as  it  is  written,  This  people  honoureth 
me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  far  from  me. 
Howbeit  in  vain    do  they  worship  me,  teaching     7 
for  doctrines   the   commandments   of  men.     For     8 
laying  aside  the   commandment  of  God,  ye  hold 
the  tradition  of  men,  as  the  washing  of  pots  and 
cups :    and   many  other  such  like  things  ye  do. 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Full  well  ye  reject  the    9 
commandment   of  God,  that  ye  may   keep  your 
own    tradition.      For    Moses    said,    Honour    thy  10 
father    and    thy    mother;    and,    Whoso    curseth 
father  or  mother,  let  him  die  the  death :  but  ye  1 1 


ST.  MARK  71 

say,  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or  mother,     chap.  7 
It  is  Corban,  that  is  to  say,  a  gift,  by  whatsoever 
thou  mightest  be  profited  by  me ;  he  shall  be  free. 

12  And  ye  suffer  him  no  more  to  do  ought  for  his 

13  father  or  his  mother;  making  the  word  of  God 
of  none  effect  through  your  tradition,  which 
ye  have   delivered :    and  many  such  like   things 

14  do  ye.  And  when  he  had  called  all  the  people 
unto  him,  he  said  unto  them,  Hearken  unto  me 

15  every  one  of  you,  and  understand:  there  is  nothing 
from  without  a  man,  that  entering  into  him  can 
defile  him :    but  the   things   which   come  out  of 

16  him,  those  are  they  that  defile  the  man.     If  any 

17  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.  And  when 
he  was  entered  into  the  house  from  the  people, 
his  disciples  asked  him   concerning  the  parable. 

18  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Are  ye  so  without 
understanding  also?  Do  ye  not  perceive,  that 
whatsoever  thing   from  without  entereth  into  the 

19  man,  it  cannot  defile  him;  because  it  entereth 
not  into  his  heart,  but  into  the  belly,  and  goeth 

20  out  into  the  draught,  purging  all  meats?  And 
he  said,  That  which  cometh  out  of  the  man,  that 

21  defileth  the  man.  For  from  within,  out  of  the 
heart   of  men,  proceed    evil    thoughts,  adulteries, 

22  fornications,  murders,  thefts,  covetousness,  wicked- 
ness, deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye,  blasphemy, 

23  pride,  foolishness :  all  these  evil  things  come  from 
within,  and  defile  the  man. 

24  And   from  thence  he  arose,  and  went  into  the  syro- 
borders   of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  entered  into  an  ^f 
house,  and  would  have  no  man  know  it :   but  he  daughter. 

25  could   not   be  hid.     For  a  certain  woman,  whose 


72  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  7   young  daughter  had  an  unclean  spirit,  heard  of 

him,  and  came  and  fell  at  his  feet :   the  woman  26 
was  a  Greek,  a  Syrophenician  by  nation ;  and  she 
besought  him  that  he  would  cast  forth  the  devil 
out  of  her  daughter.     But  Jesus  said  unto  her,  27 
Let  the  children  first  be  filled :  for  it  is  not  meet 
to  take  the  children's  bread,  and  to  cast  //  unto 
the  dogs.     And  she  answered  and  said  unto  him,   28 
Yes,  Lord :   yet  the  dogs  under  the  table  eat  of 
the    children's   crumbs.     And  he  said  unto  her,   2<j 
For  this  saying  go  thy  way ;  the  devil  is  gone  out 
of  thy   daughter.      And  when  she  was  come  to  3  > 
her  house,  she  found  the  devil  gone  out,  and  her 
daughter  laid  upon  the  bed. 
Healing  And  again,  departing  from  the  coasts  of  Tyre  31 

andea        and   Sidon,   he   came   unto    the    sea   of  Galilee, 
dumbman.  through   the   midst   of  the   coasts   of   Decapolis. 

And  they  bring  unto  him  one  that  was  deaf,  and  32 
had   an    impediment    in    his   speech ;    and   they 
beseech  him   to  put  his  hand  upon  him.     And  33 
he  took  him  aside  from  the  multitude,  and  put 
his  fingers  into  his  ears,  and  he  spit,  and  touched 
his  tongue ;  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  sighed,  34 
and  saith  unto  him,  Ephphatha,  that  is,  Be  opened. 
And   straightway  his    ears  were   opened,  and  the  35 
string  of  his   tongue  was  loosed,  and   he   spake 
plain.     And  he  charged  them   that  they  should  36 
tell  no  man :  but  the  more  he  charged  them,  so 
much  the  more  a  great  deal  they  published  it; 
and  were  beyond  measure  astonished,  saying,  He  37 
hath   done  all  things  well :    he  maketh  both  the 
Feeding      deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 
4,000.  In  those  days  the  multitude  being  very  great,  8 


ST.  MARK  73 

and  having  nothing  to  eat,  Jesus  called  his  disciples    Chap.  8 

2  unto  him,  and  saith  unto  them,  I  have  compassion 
on  the  multitude,  because  they  have  now  been 
with   me   three   days,  and   have    nothing  to  eat : 

3  and  if  I  send  them  away  fasting  to  their  own 
houses,  they  will   faint   by   the   way :    for   divers 

4  of  them  came  from  far.  And  his  disciples  answered 
him,  From  whence  can  a  man  satisfy  these  men 

5  with  bread  here  in  the  wilderness  ?  And  he  asked 
them,  How  many  loaves  have  ye  ?    And  they  said, 

6  Seven.  And  he  commanded  the  people  to  sit 
down  on  the  ground :  and  he  took  the  seven 
loaves,  and  gave  thanks,  and  brake,  and  gave  to 
his  disciples   to  set  before  them ;    and  they  did 

7  set  them  before  the  people.  And  they  had  a  few 
small  fishes :  and  he  blessed,  and  commanded  to 

8  set  them  also  before  them.  So  they  did  eat,  and 
were  filled :  and  they  took  up  of  the  broken  meat 

9  that  was  left  seven  baskets.  And  they  that  had 
eaten    were   about  four   thousand :    and    he   sent 

io  them  away.  And  straightway  he  entered  into 
a  ship  with  his  disciples,  and  came  into  the 
parts  of  Dalmanutha. 

1 1       And  the   Pharisees    came  forth,  and  began  to  Question 
question   with    him,  seeking  of  him   a  sign    from  °  SIgns- 

i2  heaven,  tempting  him.  And  he  sighed  deeply 
in  his  spirit,  and  saith,  Why  doth  this  generation 
seek  after  a  sign?    verily  I  say  unto  you,  There 

13  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  this  generation.  And 
he  left  them,  and  entering  into  the  ship  again 
departed  to  the  other  side. 

14  Now  the  disciples  had  forgotten  to  take  bread,  The  evil 
neither  had  they  in  the  ship  with  them  more  than  caven* 


74  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  8    one  loaf.     And   he   charged  them,   saying,   Take  15 
heed,  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  and 
of  the    leaven    of   Herod.     And    they    reasoned  16 
among  themselves,  saying,  It  is  because  we  have 
no   bread.     And   when   Jesus   knew   it,  he   saith  17 
unto  them,  Why  reason  ye,  because  ye  have  no 
bread?  perceive  ye  not  yet,  neither  understand? 
have  ye  your  heart  yet  hardened?   having  eyes,  18 
see  ye  not?   and  having  ears,  hear  ye  not?   and 
do   ye   not  remember?    When   I   brake   the  five  19 
loaves  among  five  thousand,   how  many  baskets 
full  of  fragments  took  ye  up  ?  They  say  unto  him, 
Twelve.     And  when  the  seven  among  four  thou-  20 
sand,  how  many  baskets  full  of  fragments  took  ye 
up?    And  they  said,  Seven.     And   he  said  unto  21 
them,  How  is  it  that  ye  do  not  understand  ? 
Healing  of      And  he  cometh  to  Bethsaida;   and  they  bring  22 
atBetb.811  a  blind  man  unto  mm»  anc*  besought  him  to  touch 
saida.        him.     And  he  took  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  23 
and  led  him  out  of  the  town ;  and  when  he  had 
spit  on  his  eyes,  and  put  his  hands  upon  him,  he 
asked  him  if  he  saw  ought.     And  he  looked  up,  24 
and  said,  I  see  men  as  trees,  walking.     After  that  25 
he  put  his  hands  again  upon  his  eyes,  and  made 
him  look  up :  and  he  was  restored,  and  saw  every 
man  clearly.     And  he  sent  him  away  to  his  house,  26 
saying,  Neither  go  into  the  town,  nor  tell  it  to  any 
in  the  town. 
Peter's  And  Jesus  went  out,  and  his  disciples,  into  the  27 

sion.eS        towns  of  Csesarea   Philippi :    and  by  the  way  he 
asked  his  disciples,  saying  unto  them,  Whom  do 
men  say  that  I  am  ?    And  they  answered,  John  28 
the   Baptist :    but   some   say,   Elias ;    and  others, 


ST.  MARK  75 

29  One  of  the  prophets.     And   he  saith  unto  them,    Chap.  8 
But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?  And  Peter  answereth 

30  and  saith  unto  him,  Thou  art  the  Christ.  And  he 
charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  of  him. 

31  And  he  began  to  teach  them,  that  the  Son  of  Jesus 
man  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  of  ^H Jeath 
the  elders,  and  of  the  chief  priests,  and  scribes,  and  5n£re" 

32  be  killed,  and  after  three  days  rise  again.     And  Peter, 
he  spake   that   saying   openly.     And   Peter   took 

33  him,  and  began  to  rebuke  him.  But  when  he 
had  turned  about  and  looked  on  his  disciples, 
he  rebuked  Peter,  saying,  Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan  :    for  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  be 

34  of  God,  but  the  things  that  be  of  men.  And 
when  he  had  called  the  people  unto  him  with  his 
disciples  also,  he  said  unto  them,  Whosoever  will 
come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 

35  his  cross,  and  follow  me.  For  whosoever  will  save 
his  life  shall  lose  it ;  but  whosoever  shall  lose  his 
life  for  my  sake  and  the  gospel's,  the  same  shall 

36  save  it.  For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he 
shall   gain    the   whole    world,    and    lose    his    own 

37  soul?   Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
3S  his  soul?    Whosoever  therefore  shall  be  ashamed 

of  me  and  of  my  words  in  this  adulterous  and 
sinful  generation ;  of  him  also  shall  the  Son  of 
man  be  ashamed,  when   he  cometh  in  the  glory 

9  of  his  Father  with  the  holy  angels.  And  he  said 
unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  there  be 
some  of  them  that  stand  here,  which  shall  not 
taste  of  death,  till  they  have  seen  the  kingdom 
of  God  come  with  power. 

2       And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  with  him  Peter,  figurafion. 


76  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  9    and  James,  and  John,  and  leadeth  them  up  into 

an  high  mountain  apart  by  themselves:    and  he 

was  transfigured  before  them.     And  his  raiment    3 
became  shining,  exceeding  white  as  snow;   so  as 
no  fuller  on  earth  can  white  them.     And  there    4 
appeared  unto  them  Elias  with  Moses :  and  they 
were  talking  with  Jesus.     And  Peter  answered  and    5 
said  to  Jesus,   Master,  it  is  good   for   us  to   be 
here:    and  let  us   make  three  tabernacles;    one 
for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias. 
For  he  wist  not  what  to  say ;  for  they  were  sore    6 
afraid.     And  there  was  a  cloud  that  overshadowed    7 
them :  and  a  voice  came  out  of  the  cloud,  saying, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son  :  hear  him.    And  suddenly,     8 
when  they  had  looked  round  about,  they  saw  no 
man  any  more,  save  Jesus  only  with  themselves. 
Questions       And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  he    9 
regarding  cnars:ed  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  what 

the  rcsiir*' 

rection.       things  they  had  seen,  till  the  Son  of  man  were 

risen  from  the  dead.     And  they  kept  that  saying  10 
with    themselves,    questioning    one   with   another 
what  the  rising  from  the  dead  should  mean.     And  11 
they  asked  him,  saying,  Why  say  the  scribes  that 
Elias  must  first  come  ?  And  he  answered  and  told  1 2 
them,  Elias  verily  cometh  first,  and  restoreth  all 
things ;   and  how  it  is  written  of  the  Son  of  man, 
that  he  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  set  at 
nought.     But  I  say  unto  you,  That  Elias  is  indeed  13 
come,  and  they  have  done  unto  him  whatsoever 
they  listed,  as  it  is  written  of  him. 
Healing  And  when  he  came  to  his  disciples,  he  saw  a  14 

demoniac   great    multitude    about    them,    and    the    scribes 
boy.  questioning  with  them.     And  straightway  all   the  15 


ST.  MARK  77 

people,  when  they  beheld  him,  were  greatly  amazed,    Chap.  9 

16  and  running  to  him  saluted  him.     And  he  asked 

17  the  scribes,  What  question  ye  with  them?  And 
one  of  the  multitude  answered  and  said,  Master, 
I    have  brought  unto   thee  my  son,   which  hath 

iS  a  dumb  spirit;  and  wheresoever  he  taketh  him, 
he  teareth  him  :  and  he  foameth,  and  gnasheth 
with  his  teeth,  and  pineth  away :  and  I  spake 
to  thy  disciples  that  they  should  cast  him  out; 

19  and  they  could  not.  He  answereth  him,  and 
saith,  O  faithless  generation,  how  long  shall  I 
be  with  you  ?  how  long  shall  I  suffer  you  ?  bring 

20  him  unto  me.  And  they  brought  him  unto  him : 
and  when  he  saw  him,  straightway  the  spirit  tare 
him ;    and  he  fell  on  the  ground,  and  wallowed 

21  foaming.     And   he   asked   his  father,   How   long  The 

is  it  ago  since  this  came  unto  him  ?    And  he  said,  appeal. 

22  Of  a  child.  And  ofttimes  it  hath  cast  him  into 
the  fire,  and  into  the  waters,  to  destroy  him  :  but  if 
thou  canst  do  any  thing,  have  compassion  on  us, 

23  and  help  us.  Jesus  said  unto  him,  If  thou  canst 
believe,  all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth. 

24  And  straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried  out, 
and  said  with   tears,  Lord,  I  believe;   help  thou 

25  mine  unbelief.  When  Jesus  saw  that  the  people 
came  running  together,  he  rebuked  the  foul  spirit, 
saying  unto  him,  Thou  dumb  and  deaf  spirit,  I 
charge  thee,  come  out  of  him,  and  enter  no  more 

26  into  him.  And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent  him  sore, 
and  came  out  of  him  :  and  he  was  as  one  dead ; 

27  insomuch  that  many  said,  He  is  dead.  But  Jesus 
took  him  by  the  hand,  and  lifted  him   up ;   and 

28  he  arose.     And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house, 


78  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  9    his  disciples  asked  him  privately,  Why  could  not 

we  cast  him  out?   And  he  said  unto  them,  This  29 
kind  can  come  forth  by  nothing,  but  by  prayer  and 
fasting. 
Further  And  they  departed  thence,  and  passed  through  30 

ment  of"   Galilee ;  and  he  would  not  that  any  man  should 
his  death    kn0w  it.     For  he  taught  his   disciples,  and  said  31 
rection.      unto  them,  The  Son  of  man  is  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  men,  and  they  shall  kill  him ;  and  after 
that  he  is  killed,  he  shall  rise  the  third  day.     But  32 
they  understood  not  that  saying,  and  were  afraid 
to  ask  him. 
Rebuke  of      And  he  came  to  Capernaum  :  and  being  in  the  33 
tionof  the  house  he  asked  them,  What  was  it  that  ye  disputed 
disciples.    among  yourselves  by  the  way  ?  But  they  held  their  34 
peace :  for  by  the  way  they  had  disputed  among 
themselves,  who  should  be  the  greatest.     And  he  35 
sat  down,  and  called  the  twelve,  and  saith  unto 
them,  If  any  man  desire  to  be  first,  the  same  shall 
be  last  of  all,  and  servant  of  all.     And  he  took  36 
a  child,  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them :  and 
when  he  had  taken  him  in  his  arms,  he  said  unto 
them,  Whosoever  shall  receive  one  of  such  children  37 
in  my  name,  receiveth  me :   and  whosoever  shall 
receive  me,  receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that  sent  me. 
Questions       And   John    answered   him,   saying,    Master,  we  38 
ship1  and6  saw  one  casting  out  devils  in  thy  name,  and  he 
offences.    f0noweth  not   us :    and  we  forbad  him,   because 

he  followeth  not  us.     But  Jesus  said,  Forbid  him  39 
not :  for  there  is  no  man  which  shall  do  a  miracle 
in  my  name,  that  can  lightly  speak  evil  of  me.    For  40 
he  that  is  not  against  us  is  on  our  part.    For  whoso-  41 
ever  shall  give  you  a  cup  of  water  to  drink  in  my 


ST.  MARK  79 

name,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ,  verily   I  say    Chap.  9 

42  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward.  And 
whosoever  shall  offend  one  of  these  little  ones  that 
believe  in  me,  it  is  better  for  him  that  a  millstone 
were   hanged  about  his   neck,  and  he  were  cast 

43  into  the  sea.  And  if  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut 
it  off:  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed, 
than  having  two  hands  to  go  into  hell,  into  the  fire 

44  that  never  shall  be  quenched :   where  their  worm 

45  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched.  And  if 
thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it  is  better  for  thee 
to  enter  halt  into  life,  than  having  two  feet  to 
be  cast  into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be 

46  quenched :    where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the 

47  fire  is  not  quenched.  And  if  thine  eye  offend 
thee,  pluck  it  out :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God  with  one  eye,  than  having 

48  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into  hell  fire :  where  their 
worm  dieth   not,  and  the    fire  is   not    quenched. 

49  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with  fire,  and  every 

50  sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt.  Salt  is  good  : 
but  if  the  salt  have  lost  his  saltness,  wherewith 
will  ye  season  it?  Have  salt  in  yourselves,  and 
have  peace  one  with  another. 

10  And  he  arose  from  thence,  and  cometh  into  the  Questions 
coasts  of  Judaea  by  the  farther  side  of  Jordan  :  and  riage  and 
the  people  resort  unto  him  again  ;  and,  as  he  was  dlvorce- 

2  wont,  he  taught  them  again.  And  the  Pharisees 
came  to  him,  and  asked  him,  Is  it  lawful  for  a 

5  man  to  put  away  his  wife  ?  tempting  him.  And  he 
answered  and   said  unto  them,  What  did  Moses 

4  command  you?  And  they  said,  Moses  suffered 
to  write  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  to  put  her  away. 


So 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  10   And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  For  the     5 
hardness  of  your  heart  he  wrote  you  this  precept. 
But  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation  God  made    6 
them  male  and  female.    For  this  cause  shall  a  man     7 
leave  his  father  and  mother,  and  cleave  to  his  wife ; 
and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh:  so  then  they    8 
are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh.     What  therefore    9 
God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder. 
And  in  the  house  his  disciples  asked  him  again  of  10 
the  same  matter.    And  he  saith  unto  them,  Whoso-  11 
ever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  and  marry  another, 
committeth  adultery  against  her.     And  if  a  woman  12 
shall  put  away  her  husband,  and  be  married  to 
another,  she  committeth  adultery. 

And  they  brought  young  children  to  him,  that  13 
he  should  touch  them  :  and  his  disciples  rebuked 
those  that  brought  them.     But  when  Jesus  saw  //,   14 
he  was  much  displeased,  and  said  unto  them,  Suffer 
the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
not :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.     Verily  1 5 
I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter 
therein.     And  he  took  them  up  in  his  arms,  put  16 
his  hands  upon  them,  and  blessed  them. 

And  when  he  was  gone  forth  into  the  way,  there  17 
came  one  running,  and  kneeled  to  him,  and  asked 
him,  Good  Master,  what  shall   I  do  that  I  may 
inherit  eternal   life?    And   Jesus  said  unto  him,   18 
Why  callest  thou  me  good?   there  is  none  good 
but  one,  that  is,  God.     Thou  knowest  the  com-  19 
mandments,  Do  not  commit  adultery,  Do  not  kill, 
Do  not  steal,  Do  not  bear  false  witness,  Defraud 
not,    Honour   thy   father   and   mother.     And    he  20 


ST.  MARK  8 1 

answered   and  said   unto    him,    Master,   all   these   Chap.  10 

21  have  I  observed  from  my  youth.  Then  Jesus 
beholding  him  loved  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
One  thing  thou  lackest :  go  thy  way,  sell  what- 
soever thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasure   in   heaven :    and  come,   take 

22  up  the  cross,  and  follow  me.  And  he  was  sad 
at  that  saying,  and  went  away  grieved:  for  he 
had  great  possessions. 

2i       And  Tesus  looked  round  about,  and  saith  unto  Law  of 
°  J  .  ,  entrance 

his   disciples,    How   hardly   shall   they    that    have  into  the 

24  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  !   And  the  kingdom, 
disciples  were  astonished  at  his  words.     But  Jesus 
answereth  again,  and  saith  unto  them,  Children, 

how  hard  is   it  for  them  that  trust  in  riches   to 

25  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God !  It  is  easier  for 
a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than 
for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

26  And  they  were  astonished  out  of  measure,  saying 

27  among  themselves,  Who  then  can  be  saved?  And 
Jesus  looking  upon  them  saith,  With  men  it  is 
impossible,  but  not  with  God:    for  with  God  all 

28  things  are  possible.  Then  Peter  began  to  say 
unto  him,  Lo,  we  have  left  all,  and  have  followed 

19  thee.  And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left 
house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother, 
or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for  my  sake,  and  the 

30  gospel's,  but  he  shall  receive  an  hundredfold  now 
in  this  time,  houses,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  and 
mothers,   and  children,   and   lands,  with   persecu- 

31  tions ;  and  in  the  world  to  come  eternal  life.  But 
many  that  are  first  shall  be  last ;  and  the  last  first. 

G 


82  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  10       And  they  were  in  the  way  going  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  32 
Announce-  an(^  Jesus  went  before  them:  and  they  were  amazed; 
mentof      and  as  they  followed,  they  were  afraid.     And  he 
resnrrec-    took  again  the  twelve,   and   began    to  tell   them 
tion.  what   things    should    happen    unto    him,    saying,  33 

Behold,   we  go  up   to   Jerusalem ;    and   the   Son 
of  man  shall  be  delivered  unto  the  chief  priests, 
and  unto   the  scribes ;    and   they   shall  condemn 
him    to    death,    and    shall    deliver    him    to    the 
Gentiles :    and   they  shall    mock    him,   and   shall  34 
scourge  him,  and  shall  spit  upon  him,  and  shall 
kill  him  :  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again. 
Rebuke  of       And   James   and   John,   the  sons   of  Zebedee,  35 
Zebedee.     come  unto    him,  saying,   Master,   we  would   that 
thou   shouldest    do   for   us   whatsoever   we    shall 
desire.      And   he   said   unto    them,    AVhat   would  36 
ye  that    I    should  do  for   you?    They  said  unto  37 
him,  Grant  unto  us  that  we  may  sit,  one  on  thy 
right  hand,   and  the  other  on  thy  left  hand,  in 
thy  glory.     But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Ye  know  38 
not  what  ye  ask :    can  ye  drink  of  the  cup  that 
I   drink  of?  and   be   baptized  with   the   baptism 
that    I   am  baptized  with  ?    And   they  said  unto  39 
him,   We  can.     And   Jesus  said  unto   them,   Ye 
shall  indeed  drink  of  the  cup  that   I   drink  of; 
and  with  the  baptism  that   I  am  baptized  withal 
shall   ye   be   baptized :    but   to   sit   on    my   right  40 
hand  and  on  my  left  hand  is  not  mine  to  give; 
but   it  shall  be  given    to   them    for   whom   it   is 
prepared.     And  when  the  ten  heard  it,  they  began  41 
to   be   much    displeased   with   James   and   John. 
But   Jesus  called  them  to  him,   and   saith   unto  42 
them,   Ye   know   that    they  which  are  accounted 


ST.  MARK  83 

to  rule  over   the  Gentiles   exercise  lordship  over    Chap.  10 
them ;    and    their    great    ones    exercise   authority 

43  upon  them.  But  so  shall  it  not  be  among  you  : 
but   whosoever   will    be   great   among   you,    shall 

44  be  your  minister :   and  whosoever  of  you  will  be 

45  the  chiefest,  shall  be  servant  of  all.  For  even 
the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many. 

46  And  they  came  to  Jericho :  and  as  he  went  Blind 
out  of  Jericho  with  his  disciples  and  a  great  m^us 
number  of  people,  blind   Bartimaeus,   the  son   ofmadeto 

47  Timaeus,  sat  by  the  highway  side  begging.  And 
when  he  heard  that  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  he 
began   to   cry    out,   and  say,   Jesus,  thou   son    of 

4S  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  many  charged 
him  that  he  should  hold  his  peace :  but  he  cried 
the  more  a  great  deal,  Thou  son  of  David,  have 

49  mercy  on  me.  And  Jesus  stood  still,  and  com- 
manded him  to  be  called.  And  they  call  the 
blind  man,  saying  unto  him,  Be  of  good  comfort, 

50  rise ;  he  calleth  thee.     And  he,  casting  away  his 

51  garment,  rose,  and  came  to  Jesus.  And  Jesus 
answered  and  said  unto  him,  What  wilt  thou 
that  I  should  do  unto  thee?  The  blind  man 
said   unto   him,   Lord,   that    I    might  receive  my 

52  sight.  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Go  thy  way ; 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.  And  imme- 
diately he  received  his  sight,  and  followed  Jesus 
in  the  way. 

11       And  when  they  came  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  unto  Triumphal 
Bethphage  and  Bethany,  at  the  mount  of  Olives,  j"sUs°nto 

2  he  sendeth  forth  two  of  his  disciples,  and  saith  Jeru- 
salem. 

G    2 


84  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  11   unto   them,   Go   your   way   into   the  village  over 
against  you  :   and  as  soon  as  ye  be  entered  into  it, 
ye  shall  find  a  colt  tied,  whereon  never  man  sat; 
loose  him,  and  bring  him.     And  if  any  man  say    3 
unto  you,  Why  do  ye  this?  say  ye  that  the  Lord 
hath  need  of  him ;  and  straightway  he  will  send 
him  hither.     And  they  went  their  way,  and  found    4 
the  colt  tied  by  the  door  without  in  a  place  where 
two  ways  met ;   and  they  loose  him.     And  certain     5 
of  them  that  stood  there  said  unto  them,  What  do 
ye,  loosing  the  colt?    And  they  said  unto  them    6 
even  as  Jesus  had  commanded :  and  they  let  them 
go.     And  they  brought  the  colt  to  Jesus,  and  cast     7 
their  garments   on   him ;    and  he  sat  upon   him. 
And  many  spread  their  garments  in  the  way  :  and    8 
others  cut  down  branches  off  the  trees,  and  strawed 
them  in  the  way.     And  they  that  went  before,  and    9 
they  that  followed,  cried,  saying,  Husanna;  Blessed 
is    he   that   cometh    in    the   name   of  the    Lord  : 
Blessed  be  the  kingdom  of  our  father  David,  that  10 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :   Hosanna  in  the 
highest.     And  Jesus  entered  into  Jerusalem,  and  n 
into  the  temple :  and  when  he  had  looked  round 
about  upon  all  things,  and  now  the  eventide  was 
come,  he  went  out  unto  Bethany  with  the  twelve. 

And   on   the   morrow,   when   they  were   come  12 
from  Bethany,  he  was   hungry :    and  seeing  a  fig  13 
tree  afar  off  having  leaves,  he  came,  if  haply  he 
might  find  any  thing  thereon  :   and  when  he  came 
to  it,  he  found  nothing  but  leaves ;  for  the  time 
of  figs  was  not  yet.     And  Jesus  answered  and  said  14 
unto  it,  No  man  eat  fruit  of  thee  hereafter  for 
ever.     And  his  disciples  heard  //. 


ST.  MARK  85 

15  And  they  come  to  Jerusalem:   and  Jesus  went   Chap.  11 
into  the  temple,  and  began  to  cast  out  them  that  cleansing 
sold  and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  jjjj}^ 
tables   of  the   moneychangers,    and   the   seats  of 

16  them  that  sold  doves;  and  would  not  suffer  that 
any   man    should   carry    any   vessel    through   the 

17  temple.  And  he  taught,  saying  unto  them,  Is  it 
not  written,  My  house  shall  be  called  of  all  nations 
the  house  of  prayer  ?   but  ye  have  made  it  a  den 

18  of  thieves.  And  the  scribes  and  chief  priests  heard 
it,  and  sought  how  they  might  destroy  him  :  for 
they   feared    him,    because    all    the    people    was 

19  astonished  at  his  doctrine.  And  when  even  was 
come,  he  went  out  of  the  city. 

20  And  in  the  morning,  as  they  passed  by,  they  Counsels 

■,  •    t  r  .1  L  a     j  on  faith, 

21  saw  the  rig  tree  dried  up  from  the  roots.     And  prayer, 

Peter   calling    to    remembrance   saith    unto    him,  and  for- 

c5  givencss. 

Master,  behold,  the  fig  tree  which  thou  cursedst 

22  is  withered  away.     And  Jesus  answering  saith  unto 

23  them,  Have  faith  in  God.  For  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  That  whosoever  shall  say  unto  this  mountain, 
Be  thou  removed,  and  be  thou  cast  into  the  sea ; 
and  shall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe 
that  those  things   which  he  saith   shall  come  to 

24  pass ;  he  shall  have  whatsoever  he  saith.  There- 
fore I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  desire, 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and 

25  ye  shall  have  them.  And  when  ye  stand  praying, 
forgive,  if  ye  have  ought  against  any :  that  your 
Father  also  which  is  in  heaven  may  forgive  you 

26  your  trespasses.  But  if  ye  do  not  forgive,  neither 
will  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  forgive  your 
trespasses. 


86 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  11       And  they  come  again  to  Jerusalem  :   and  as  he  27 
Questions  was  walking  in  the  temple,  there  come  to  him  the 

chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders,  and  28 
say  unto  him,  By  what  authority  doest  thou  these 
things?  and  who  gave  thee  this  authority  to  do 
these  things?  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  29 
them,  I   will  also  ask  of  you  one  question,  and 
answer  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  by  what  authority 
I  do  these  things.     The  baptism  of  John,  was  it  30 
from  heaven,  or  of  men?  answer  me.     And  they  31 
reasoned  with  themselves,  saying,  If  we  shall  say, 
From  heaven ;   he  will  say,  Why  then  did  ye  not 
believe  him  ?    But  if  we  shall  say,  Of  men ;   they  32 
feared  the  people :   for  all  men  counted  John,  that 
he    was  a   prophet  indeed.     And   they  answered  33 
and  said  unto  Jesus,  We  cannot  tell.     And  Jesus 
answering  saith  unto  them,  Neither  do  I  tell  you 
by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

And  he  began  to  speak  unto  them  by  parables.  12 
A   certain  man   planted   a  vineyard,  and  set  an 
hedge  about  it,  and  digged  a  place  for  the  winefat, 
and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen, 
and  went  into  a  far  country.     And  at  the  season     2 
he  sent  to   the   husbandmen  a  servant,  that   he 
might  receive  from  the   husbandmen  of  the  fruit 
of  the  vineyard.     And  they  caught  him,  and  beat    3 
him,  and  sent  him  away  empty.     And  again  he    4 
sent  unto  them  another  servant ;   and  at  him  they 
cast  stones,  and  wounded  him  in  the  head,  and 
sent   him  away   shamefully  handled.     And   again     5 
he  sent  another ;   and  him  they  killed,  and  many 
others ;   beating  some,  and  killing  some.     Having    6 
yet  therefore  one  son,  his  wellbeloved,  he  sent  him 


ST.  MARK  87 

also  last  unto  them,  saying,  They  will  reverence   Chap.  12 

7  my  son.  But  those  husbandmen  said  among 
themselves,  This  is  the   heir ;    come,   let  us  kill 

8  him,  and  the  inheritance  shall  be  our's.  And 
they  took  him,  and  killed  him,  and  cast  him  out 

9  of  the  vineyard.  What  shall  therefore  the  lord 
of  the  vineyard  do?  he  will  come  and  destroy 
the  husbandmen,  and  will  give  the  vineyard  unto 

10  others.  And  have  ye  not  read  this  scripture ;  The 
stone  which  the   builders  rejected  is  become  the 

1 1  head  of  the  corner :    this  was  the   Lord's  doing, 

12  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes?  And  they  sought 
to  lay  hold  on  him,  but  feared  the  people  :  for 
they  knew  that  he  had  spoken  the  parable  against 
them :  and  they  left  him,  and  went  their  way. 

13  And  they  send  unto  him  certain  of  the  Pharisees  Questions 
and  of  the  Herodians,  to  catch  him  in  his  words.  u  e' 

14  And  when  they  were  come,  they  say  unto  him, 
Master,  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  carest  for 
no  man  :  for  thou  regardest  not  the  person  of  men, 
but  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth  :  Is  it  lawful 

15  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  or  not?  Shall  we  give, 
or  shall  we  not  give?  But  he,  knowing  their 
hypocrisy,  said    unto    them,  Why   tempt  ye   me? 

16  bring  me  a  penny,  that  I  may  see  it.  And  they 
brought  it.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Whose  is  this 
image  and  superscription  ?     And   they  said  unto 

17  him,  Caesar's.  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them, 
Render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's, 
and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's.  And  they 
marvelled  at  him. 

18  Then  come  unto  him  the  Sadducees,  which  say  Questions 

there    is    no    resurrection ;    and    they  asked   him,  resurrec- 
tion. 


88  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  12   saying,  Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us,  If  a  man's  19 

brother  die,  and  leave  his  wife  behind  him,  and 

leave  no  children,  that  his  brother  should  take  his 

wife,  and  raise  up  seed  unto  his  brother.     Now  20 

there  were   seven    brethren :    and   the   first   took 

a  wife,  and  dying  left  no  seed.     And  the  second  21 

took  her,  and  died,  neither  left  he  any  seed :  and 

the  third  likewise.    And  the  seven  had  her,  and  left  22 

no  seed  :  last  of  all  the  woman  died  also.     In  the  23 

resurrection  therefore,  when  they  shall  rise,  whose 

wife  shall  she  be  of  them  ?  for  the  seven  had  her 

to  wife.     And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them,  Do  24 

ye  not   therefore  err,  because   ye    know  not   the 

scriptures,  neither  the  power  of  God?     For  when  25 

they  shall  rise  from  the  dead,  they  neither  marry, 

nor  are  given  in  marriage ;  but  are  as  the  angels 

which  are  in  heaven.  And  as  touching  the  dead,  that  26 

they  rise :  have  ye  not  read  in  the  book  of  Moses, 

how  in  the  bush  God  spake  unto  him,  saying,  I  am 

the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the 

God  of  Jacob  ?   He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  27 

the  God  of  the  living  :  ye  therefore  do  greatly  err. 

And  one  of  the  scribes  came,  and  having  heard  28 

them  reasoning  together,  and   perceiving  that  he 

command-  ^acj  answered  them  well,  asked  him,  Which  is  the 
ment.  '  ' 

first  commandment  of  all  ?     And  Jesus  answered  29 

him,  The  first  of  all  the  commandments  is,  Hear, 
O  Israel ;  The  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord :  and  30 
thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind, 
and  with  all  thy  strength  :  this  is  the  first  command- 
ment. And  the  second  is  like,  namely  tin's,  Thou  31 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.     There  is  none 


ST.  MARK  89 

32  other  commandment  greater  than  these.     And  the   Chap.  12 
scribe  said  unto  him,  Well,  Master,  thou  hast  said 

the  truth  :  for  there  is  one  God ;  and  there  is  none 

33  other  but  he :  and  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart, 
and  with  all  the  understanding,  and  with  all  the 
soul,  and  with  all  the  strength,  and  to  love  his 
neighbour  as  himself,  is  more  than  all  whole  burnt 

34  offerings  and  sacrifices.  And  when  Jesus  saw  that 
he  answered  discreetly,  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  art 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  no  man 
after  that  durst  ask  him  any  questto?i. 

35  And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  while  he  taught  Question 
in  the  temple,  How  say  the  scribes  that  Christ  is  iJgDa" 

36  the  Son  of  David?    For  David  himself  said  by  the  vid'sSon. 
Holy  Ghost,  The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit  thou 

on  my  right  hand,  till  I  make  thine  enemies  thy 

37  footstool.  David  therefore  himself  calleth  him 
Lord  ;  and  whence  is  he  then  his  son  ?  And  the 
common  people  heard  him  gladly. 

38  And  he  said  unto  them  in  his  doctrine,  Beware  Warning 
of  the  scribes,  which  love  to  go  in  long  clothing,  the 

39  and  love  salutations  in  the  marketplaces,  and  the  scn  e! 
chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  the  uppermost 

40  rooms  at  feasts :  which  devour  widows'  houses, 
and  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayers :  these  shall 
receive  greater  damnation. 

41  And  Jesus  sat  over  against  the  treasury,  and  The 
beheld  how  the  people  cast  money  into  the  treasury :  offering. 

42  and  many  that  were  rich  cast  in  much.  And  there 
came  a  certain  poor  widow,  and  she  threw  in  two 

43  mites,  which  make  a  farthing.  And  he  called  unto 
him  his  disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  That  this  poor  widow  hath  rast  more  in, 


9o  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  12   than  all  they  which  have  cast  into  the  treasury : 

for  all  they  did  cast  in  of  their  abundance;  but  44 

she  of  her  want  did  cast  in  all  that  she  had,  even 
all  her  living. 
Destruc-         And  as  he  went  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  13 
of  Si  disciples  saith  unto  him,  Master,  see  what  manner 

temple        of  stones  and  what  buildings  are  here  I    And  Jesus     2 
answering  said  unto  him,  Seest  thou  these  great 
buildings  ?  there  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon 
another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down. 
Announce-      And  as  he  sat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives  over    3 
ment  of      against  the  temple,  Peter  and  Tames  and  John  and 

beginnings     °  L      '  J  J 

of  travail.  Andrew  asked  him  privately,  Tell  us,  when  shall     4 
these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  when 
all  these  things  shall  be  fulfilled?  And  Jesus  answer-     5 
ing  them  began  to  say,  Take  heed  lest  any  man 
deceive  you :    for  many  shall  come  in  my  name,     6 
saying,    I    am   Christ ;    and   shall  deceive  many. 
And  when  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of    7 
wars,  be  ye  not  troubled :    for  such  things  must 
needs  be ;    but   the   end   shall  not  be   yet.     For    8 
nation   shall    rise    against    nation,    and    kingdom 
against  kingdom :  and  there  shall  be  earthquakes 
in  divers  places,  and  there  shall  be  famines  and 
troubles  :  these  are  the  beginnings  of  sorrows. 
Announce-      But   take   heed   to   yourselves :    for   they   shall    9 
m*rsecu-     deliver  you  up  to  councils  ;  and  in  the  synagogues 
tions.         ye  shall  be  beaten  :  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before 
rulers  and    kings    for   my   sake,    for   a   testimony 
against  them.     And  the  gospel  must  first  be  pub-  10 
lished  among  all   nations.     But  when  they  shall  11 
lead   you,   and   deliver  you  up,   take  no  thought 
beforehand    what   ye  shall    speak,   neither  do   ye 


ST.  MARK  91 

premeditate :    but  whatsoever  shall  be  given  you   Chap.  13 
in  that  hour,  that  speak  ye :  for  it  is  not  ye  that 

12  speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost.  Now  the  brother 
shall  betray  the  brother  to  death,  and  the  father 
the  son ;  and  children  shall  rise  up  against  their 
parents,  and  shall  cause  them  to  be  put  to  death. 

13  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's 
sake :  but  he  that  shall  endure  unto  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved. 

14  But   when    ye    shall    see    the   abomination   of  Days  of 
desolation,    spoken    of   by    Daniel    the    prophet,  su  enng;• 
standing  where  it  ought  not,  (let  him  that  readeth 
understand,)  then  let  them  that  be  in  Judsea  flee 

15  to  the  mountains :  and  let  him  that  is  on  the 
housetop  not  go  down  into  the  house,  neither 
enter  the7-ein,  to  take  any  thing  out  of  his  house : 

16  and   let  him  that  is  in  the  field  not  turn  back 

17  again  for  to  take  up  his  garment.  But  woe  to 
them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them  that  give 

18  suck  in  those  days!   And  pray  ye  that  your  flight 

19  be  not  in  the  winter.  For  in  those  days  shall 
be  affliction,  such  as  was  not  from  the  beginning 
of  the  creation  which  God  created  unto  this  time, 

20  neither  shall  be.  And  except  that  the  Lord  had 
shortened  those  days,  no  flesh  should  be  saved : 
but  for  the  elect's  sake,  whom   he  hath  chosen, 

2i  he  hath  shortened  the  days.  And  then  if  any 
man  shall    say    to   you,    Lo,   here   is    Christ ;    or, 

22  lo,  he  is  there;  believe  him  not:  for  false  Christs 
and  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and  shall  shew  signs 
and  wonders,  to  seduce,  if  it  were  possible,  even 

23  the  elect.  But  take  ye  heed :  behold,  I  have 
foretold  you  all  things. 


92  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  13        But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation,  the  sun  24 
Coming  of  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give 
the  Son  of  her  light,  and  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  fall,  and  25 

man.  °     '  '  ^ 

the  powers  that  are  in  heaven  shall  be  shaken. 
And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  26 
in  the  clouds  with  great  power  and  glory.  And  27 
then  shall  he  send  his  angels,  and  shall  gather 
together  his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth  to  the  uttermost  part 
of  heaven. 

Now  learn  a  parable  of  the  fig  tree ;  When  her  28 
branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves,  ye 
know  that  summer  is  near :   so  ye  in  like  manner,  29 
when  ye  shall  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know 
that  it  is  nigh,   even  at  the  doors.     Verily  I  say  30 
unto  you,  that  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  till 
all  these  things  be  done.     Heaven  and  earth  shall  31 
pass  away :    but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away. 
But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man,   32 
no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither 
the  Son,  but  the  Father.     Take  ye  heed,  watch  33 
and  pray  :  for  ye  know  not  when  the  time  is.     For  34 
the  Son  of  man  is  as  a  man  taking  a  far  journey,  who 
left  his  house,  and  gave  authority  to  his  servants, 
and  to  every  man  his  work,  and  commanded  the 
porter   to   watch.      Watch    ye   therefore :    for    ye  35 
know  not  when  the  master  of  the  house  cometh, 
at  even,  or  at   midnight,  or  at  the  cockcrowing, 
or  in  the  morning :   lest  coming  suddenly  he  find  36 
you  sleeping.     And  what   I   say  unto  you   I   say  37 
unto  all,  Watch. 

After  two  days  was  the  feast  of  the  passover,  14 
and  of  unleavened   bread :    and  the  chief  priests 


ST.  MARK  93 

and  the  scribes  sought  how  they  might  take  him  by   Chap.  14 

2  craft.  and  put  him  to  death.     But  they  said,  Not  on  and^ "" 
th    fi  ast  day,  lest  there  be  an  uproar  of  the  people,  scribes. 

3  And  being  in  Bethany  in  the  house  of  Simon  The 

the  leper,  as  he  sat  at  meat,  there  came  a  woman  fi?Iimon% 
ing  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment  of  spikenard  house« 
y  precious  j  and  she  brake  the  box,  and  poured 
on  his  head.     And  there  were  some  that  had 
indignation  within  themselves,  and  said,  Why  was 
5  this  waste  of  the  ointment  made  ?    for  it  might 
have    been   sold    for   more   than   three    hundred 
nice,  and  have  been  given  to  the  poor.     And 
ley  murmured  against  her.     And  Jesus  said,  Let 
»ier  alone;  why  trouble  ye  her?  she  hath  wrought 
»  a  good  work  on  me.     For  ye  have  the  poor  with 
you  always,  and  whensoever   ye  will  ye  may  do 
hem  good  :  but  me  ye  have  not  always.    She  hath 
done  what  she  could :   she  is  come  aforehand  to 
•»  anoint  my  body  to  the  burying.     Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  Wheresoever  this  gospel  shall   be  preached 
throughout  the  whole  world,  this  also  that  she  hath 
done  shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  memorial  of  her. 
o       And  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  went  unto  Treachery 
i  the  chief  priests,  to  betray  him  unto  them.     And  °  Ju  as" 
when  they  heard  it,  they  were  glad,  and  promised 
to  give  him  money.    And  he  sought  how  he  might 
conveniently  betray  him. 
u       And  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when  Prepara- 
they  killed  the  passover,  his  disciples  said  unto  him,  theVass- 
Where  wilt  thou  that  we  go  and  prepare  that  thou  over- 
13  mayest  eat  the  passover?     And  he  sendeth  forth 
two  of  his  disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  Go  ye 
into  the  city,  and  there  shall    meet  you   a  man 


94  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  14   bearing   a   pitcher   of  water:    follow  him.      And  14 
wheresoever  he  shall  go  in,  say  ye  to  the  goodraan 
of  the   house,  The    Master   saith,  Where   is   the 
guestchamber,   where    I    shall    eat    the    passover 
with  my  disciples?    And  he  will  shew  you  a  large  15 
upper  room  furnished  and  prepared :  there  make 
ready  for  us.     And  his  disciples  went  forth,  and  16 
came  into  the  city,  and  found  as  he  had  said  unto 
them  :  and  they  made  ready  the  passover. 
indication       And  in  the  evening  he  cometh  with  the  twelve,  i-/ 
traitor.       2^n^  as  tnev  sat  and  did  eat5  Jesus  said,  Verily  I  say  18 
unto  you,  One  of  you  which  eateth  with  me  shall 
betray  me.     And  they  began  to  be  sorrowful,  and  19 
to  say  unto  him  one  by  one,  Is  it  I  ?  and  another 
said,  Is  it  I  ?  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  20 
It  is  one  of  the  twelve,  that  dippeth  with  me  in 
the  dish.     The  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  as  it  is  2 1 
written  of  him  :  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  tht 
Son  of  man  is  betrayed  !  good  were  it  for  that  man 
if  he  had  never  been  born. 
The  Lord's      And  as  they  did  eat,  Jesus  took   bread,  and 
upper.      blessed,  and  brake  it,  and  gave  to  them,  and  said, 

Take,  eat :  this  is  my  body.    And  he  took  the  cup,   1 3 
and  when  he  had  given  thanks,  he  gave  it  to  them  : 
and  they  all  drank  of  it.     And  he  said  unto  them,  24 
This  is  my  blood  of  the  new  testament,  which  is 
shed  for   many.     Verily  I   say  unto   you,   I   will  35 
drink  no  more  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that 
day  that  I  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 
And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn,  they  went  out  26 
into  the  mount  of  Olives. 
Prediction      And  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  All  ye  shall  be  offend-  27 
fall.  ed  because  of  me  this  night :  for  it  is  written,  I  will 


ST.   MARK  95 

smite  the  shepherd, and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered,    chap.  11 

28  But  after  that  I  am  risen,  I  will  go  before  you  into 

29  Galilee.     But   Peter  said  unto  him,  Although  all 

30  shall  be  offended,  yet  will  not  I.  And  Jesus  saith 
unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  That  this  day, 
even  in  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou 

31  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  But  he  spake  the  more 
vehemently,  If  I  should  die  with  thee,  I  will  not 
deny  thee  in  any  wise.     Likewise  also  said  they  all. 

32  And  they  came  to  a  place  which  was  named  The  agony 
Gethsemane :  and  he  saith  to  his  disciples,  Sit  ye  ^m|ne, 

33  here,  while  I  shall  pray.  And  he  taketh  with  him 
Peter  and  James  and  John,  and  began  to  be  sore 

34  amazed,  and  to  be  very  heavy ;  and  saith  unto 
them,  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful  unto  death  : 

35  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch.  And  he  went  forward  a 
little,  and  fell  on  the  ground,  and  prayed  that,  if  it 

36  were  possible,  the  hour  might  pass  from  him.  And 
he  said,  Abba,  Father,  all  things  are  possible  unto 
thee ;  take  away  this  cup  from  me  :  nevertheless 

37  not  what  I  will,  but  what  thou  wilt.  And  he 
cometh,  and  findeth  them  sleeping,  and  saith  unto 
Peter,  Simon,   sleepest  thou?   couldest  not  thou 

38  watch  one  hour  ?  Watch  ye  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter 
into  temptation.     The  spirit  truly  is  ready,  but  the 

39  flesh    is    weak.     And   again    he   went   away,   and 

40  prayed,  and  spake  the  same  words.  And  when 
he  returned,  he  found  them  asleep  again,  (for 
their   eyes   were    heavy,)  neither  wist    they   what 

41  to  answer  him.  And  he  cometh  the  third  time, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your 
rest :  it  is  enough,  the  hour  is  come ;  behold,  the 
Son  of  man  is  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners. 


96 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  14 


The 

betrayal 
and  arrest. 


Incident 
of  the 
young 
man. 


Jesus 
before  the 
Jewish 
Council. 


Rise  up,  let  us  go ;  lo,  he  that  betrayeth  me  is  at  42 
hand. 

And  immediately,  while  he  yet  spake,  cometh  43 
Judas,  one  of  the  twelve,  and  with  him  a  great 
multitude  with  swords  and  staves,  from  the  chief 
priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  elders.     And  he  44 
that  betrayed  him  had  given  them  a  token,  saying, 
Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  same  is  he;   take 
him,  and  lead  him  away  safely.     And  as  soon  as  45 
he  was  come,  he  goeth   straightway  to   him,  and 
saith,  Master,  master ;  and  kissed  him.     And  they  46 
laid  their  hands  on  him,  and  took  him.     And  one  47 
of  them  that  stood  by  drew  a  sword,  and  smote  a 
servant  of  the   high    priest,  and  cut   off  his   ear. 
And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Are  ye  48 
come  out,  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  with 
staves  to  take  me?     I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  49 
temple  teaching,  and  ye  took  me  not :    but   the 
scriptures  must  be  fulfilled.     And  they  all  forsook  50 
him,  and  fled. 

And  there  followed  him  a  certain  young  man,  51 
having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about  his  naked  body ; 
and  the  young  men  laid  hold  on  him  :  and  he  left  52 
the  linen  cloth,  and  fled  from  them  naked. 

And  they  led  Jesus  away  to  the  high  priest :  and  53 
with  him  were  assembled  all  the  chief  priests  and 
the  elders  and  the  scribes.     And  Peter  followed  54 
him   afar   off,  even   into  the  palace   of  the   high 
priest :  and  he  sat  with  the  servants,  and  warmed 
himself  at  the  fire.     And  the  chief  priests  and  all  55 
the  council  sought  for  witness  against  Jesus  to  put 
him  to  death  ;  and  found  none.     For  many  bare  56 
false  witness  against  him,  but  their  witness  agreed 


ST.  MARK  97 

57  not  together.     And  there  arose  certain,  and  bare   Chap.  14 

58  false  witness  against  him,  saying,  We  heard  him 
say,  I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is  made  with 
hands,  and  within  three  days  I  will  build  another 

59  made  without   hands.     But  neither  so  did  their 

60  witness  agree  together.  And  the  high  priest  stood 
up  in  the  midst,  and  asked  Jesus,  saying,  Answerest 
thou  nothing?  what  is  itzvhich  these  witness  against 

61  thee  ?  But  he  held  his  peace,  and  answered  nothing. 
Again  the  high  priest  asked  him,  and  said  unto  him, 

62  Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Blessed?  And 
Jesus  said,  I  am  :  and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man 
sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in 

63  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Then  the  high  priest  rent 
his  clothes,  and  saith,  What  need  we  any  further 

64  witnesses  ?  Ye  have  heard  the  blasphemy :  what 
think  ye?   And  they   all   condemned   him  to  be 

65  guilty  of  death.  And  some  began  to  spit  on  him, 
and  to  cover  his  face,  and  to  buffet  him,  and  to 
say  unto  him,  Prophesy  :  and  the  servants  did 
strike  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands. 

66  And  as  Peter  was  beneath  in  the  palace,  there  Peter's 

67  cometh  one  of  the  maids  of  the  high  priest :  and    ema  s* 
when  she  saw  Peter  warming  himself,  she  looked 

upon  him,  and  said,  And  thou  also  wast  with  Jesus 

68  of  Nazareth.  But  he  denied,  saying,  I  know  not, 
neither  understand  I  what  thou  sayest.     And  he 

69  went  out  into  the  porch  ;  and  the  cock  crew.  And 
a  maid  saw  him  again,  and  began  to  say  to  them 

70  that  stood  by,  This  is  one  of  them.  And  he  denied 
it  again.  And  a  little  after,  they  that  stood  by 
said  again  to  Peter,  Surely  thou  art  one  of  them : 
for  thou  art  a  Galilean,  and  thy  speech  agreeth 

H 


98  ST.  MARK 

Chap.  14  thereto.     But   he   began    to   curse    and  to  swear,  71 
sayings  I  know  not  this  man  of  whom  ye  speak. 
And  the  second  time  the  cock  crew.     And  Peter  72 
called  to  mind  the  word  that  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
Before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me 
thrice.     And  when  he  thought  thereon,  he  wept. 
Jesus  And  straightway  in  the  morning  the  chief  priests  15 

Pilate6        hdcl  a  consultation  with  the  elders  and  scribes  and 
the  wrhole  council,  and  bound  Jesus,  and  carried 
him  away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pilate.    And  Pilate     2 
asked  him,  Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?     And 
he  answering  said  unto  him,  Thou  sayest  it.     And    3 
the  chief  priests  accused  him  of  many  things  :  but 
he  answered  nothing.    And  Pilate  asked  him  again,     4 
saying,  Answerest  thou  nothing  ?  behold  how  many 
things  they  witness  against  thee.     But  Jesus  yet     5 
answered  nothing ;  so  that  Pilate  marvelled. 
Release  of       Now  at  that  feast  he  released  unto  them  one    6 
Barabbas.  pr{sonerj  whomsoever    they    desired.     And   there     7 
was  one  named  Barabbas,  which  lay  bound  with 
them  that  had  made  insurrection  with  him,  who 
had  committed  murder  in  the  insurrection.     And    8 
the  multitude  crying  aloud  began  to  desire  him 
to  do  as  he  had  ever  done  unto  them.     But  Pilate    9 
answered  them,  saying,  Will  ye  that  I  release  unto 
you  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?     For  he  knew  that  the  10 
chief  priests  had   delivered   him   for   envy.     But  n 
the  chief  priests  moved  the  people,  that  he  should 
rather  release   Barabbas  unto  them.     And  Pilate  12 
answered  and  said  again  unto  them,  What  will  ye 
then  that  I  shall  do  unto  him  whom  ye  call  the 
King  of  the  Jews?     And  they  cried  out  again,  13 
Crucify  him.     Then  Pilate  said  unto  them,  Why,  14 


ST.  MARK  99 

what  evil  hath  he  done  ?    And  they  cried  out  the   Chap.  15 

15  more  exceedingly,  Crucify  him.  And  so  Pilate, 
willing  to  content  the  people,  released  Barabbas 
unto  them,  and  delivered  Jesus,  when  he  had 
scourged  him,  to  be  crucified. 

1 6  And  the  soldiers  led  him  away  into  the  hall,  Jesus 
called  Praetorium  ;  and  they  call  together  the  whole  and 

1 7  band.     And  they  clothed    him   with    purple,  and  scourged, 
platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it  about  his 

18  head,  and  began  to  salute  him,  Hail,  King  of  the 

19  Jews !  And  they  smote  him  on  the  head  with 
a  reed,  and  did  spit  upon  him,  and  bowing  their 

20  knees  worshipped  him.  And  when  they  had  mocked 
him,  they  took  off  the  purple  from  him,  and  put  his 
own  clothes  on  him,  and  led  him  out  to  crucify  him. 

21  And  they  compel  one  Simon  a  Cyrenian,  who 
passed  by,  coming  out  of  the  country,  the  father  of  The  cruci- 

2  a  Alexander  and  Rufus,  to  bear  his  cross.     And  they  between 
bring  him  unto  the  place  Golgotha,  which  is,  being  *wo  rob* 

23  interpreted,  The  place  of  a  skull.  And  they  gave 
him  to  drink  wine  mingled  with  myrrh :    but  he 

24  received  it  not.  And  when  they  had  crucified  him, 
they  parted  his  garments,  casting  lots  upon  them, 

25  what  every  man  should  take.    And  it  was  the  third 

26  hour,  and  they  crucified  him.  And  the  superscrip- 
tion  of  his   accusation   was   written   over,  THE 

27  KING  OF  THE  JEWS.  And  with  him  they 
crucify  two  thieves ;   the  one  on  his  right  hand, 

28  and  the  other  on  his  left.  And  the  scripture  was 
fulfilled,  which  saith,  And  he  was  numbered  with 

29  the  transgressors.  And  they  that  passed  by  railed 
on  him,  wagging  their  heads,  and  saying,  Ah,  thou 
that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three 

h  2 


IOO 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  15 


The  burial 
of  Jesus. 


days,  save  thyself,  and  come  down  from  the  cross.  30 
Likewise  also  the  chief  priests  mocking  said  among  31 
themselves  with  the  scribes,  He  saved  others  ;  him- 
self he  cannot  save.     Let  Christ  the  King  of  Israel  32 
descend  now  from  the  cross,  that  we  may  see  and 
believe.     And  they  that  were  crucified  with  him 
reviled  him. 

And  when  the  sixth  hour  was  come,  there  was  33 
darkness  over  the  whole  land  until  the  ninth  hour. 
And  at  the  ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  34 
voice,  saying,  Eloi,  Eloi,  lama  sabachthani?  which 
is,  being  interpreted,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
thou  forsaken  me?  And  some  of  them  that  stood  35 
by,  when  they  heard  it,  said,  Behold,  he  calleth 
Elias.     And  one  ran  and  filled  a  spunge  full  of  36 
vinegar,  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to 
drink,  saying,  Let  alone ;   let  us  see  whether  Elias 
will  come  to  take  him  down.     And  Jesus  cried  37 
with  a  loud  voice,  and  gave  up  the  ghost.     And  38 
the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom. 

And   when    the    centurion,    which    stood   over  39 
against  him,  saw  that  he  so  cried  out,  and  gave 
up  the  ghost,  he  said,  Truly  this  man  was  the  Son 
of  God.     There  were  also  women  looking  on  afar  40 
off :  among  whom  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary 
the  mother  of  James  the  less  and  of  Joses,  and 
Salome ;  (who  also,  when  he  was  in  Galilee,  followed  41 
him,  and  ministered  unto  him ;)  and  many  other 
women  which  came  up  with  him  unto  Jerusalem. 

And  now  when  the  even  was  come,  because  it  42 
was  the  preparation,  that  is,  the  day  before  the 
sabbath,    Joseph  of   Arimathsea,   an    honourable  43 


ST.  MARK  tot 

counsellor,    which   also   waited   for  the   kingdom   Chap.  15 
of  God,   came,   and  went  in  boldly  unto  Pilate, 

44  and  craved  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  Pilate  mar- 
velled if  he  were  already  dead :  and  calling  unto 
him  the  centurion,  he  asked  him  whether  he  had 

45  been  any  while  dead.     And  when  he  knew  it  of 

46  the  centurion,  he  gave  the  body  to  Joseph.  And 
he  bought  fine  linen,  and  took  him  down,  and 
wrapped  him  in  the  linen,  and  laid  him  in  a 
sepulchre  which  was  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  and 
rolled   a  stone  unto   the  door  of  the   sepulchre. 

47  And  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the  mother  of 
Joses  beheld  where  he  was  laid. 

16        And  when  the  sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magda-  The 
lene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and  Salome,  Tndthe 
had   bought   sweet  spices,  that  they  might  come  empty 

2  and  anoint  him.  And  very  early  in  the  morning 
the   first  day  of  the  week,   they  came  unto   the 

3  sepulchre  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  they 
said  among  themselves,   Who  shall  roll  us  away 

4  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre?  And 
when  they  looked,  they  saw  that  the  stone  was 

5  rolled  away  :  for  it  was  very  great.  And  entering 
into  the  sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting 
on  the  right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white  garment ; 

6  and  they  were  affrighted.  And  he  saith  unto  them, 
Be  not  affrighted :  Ye  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
which  was  crucified  :   he  is  risen ;   he  is  not  here : 

7  behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him.  But  go 
your  way,  tell  his  disciples  and  Peter  that  he  goeth 
before  you  into  Galilee :  there  shall  ye  see  him,  as 

S  he  said  unto  you.  And  they  went  out  quickly, 
and  fled  from  the  sepulchre;   for  they  trembled 


T02 


ST.  MARK 


Chap.  16 


The  risen 
Christ 
seen  of 
Mary. 


Seen  of 
two  disci- 
ples. 


Seen  of  the 
Eleven. 


The  great 
commis- 
sion. 


10 


n 


12 


13 


The 
Ascen- 
sion; the 
preaching 
of  the 
disciples. 


and  were  amazed  :   neither  said  they  any  thing  to 
any  man ;  for  they  were  afraid. 

Now  when  Jesus  was  risen  early  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene, 
out  of  whom  he  had  cast  seven  devils.  And  she 
went  and  told  them  that  had  been  with  him,  as 
they  mourned  and  wept.  And  they,  when  they 
had  heard  that  he  was  alive,  and  had  been  seen 
of  her,  believed  not. 

After  that  he  appeared  in  another  form  unto 
two  of  them,  as  they  walked,  and  went  into  the 
country.  And  they  went  and  told  it  unto  the 
residue  :  neither  believed  they  them. 

Afterward  he  appeared  unto  the  eleven  as  they  14 
sat  at  meat,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief 
and  hardness  of  heart,  because  they  believed  not 
them  which  had  seen  him  after  he  was  risen.    And 
he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach   the  gospel    to   every   creature.     He   that 
belie veth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;   but  he 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.     And  these  17 
signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe ;  In  my  name 
shall  they  cast  out  devils ;  they  shall  speak  with  new 
tongues;  they  shall  take  up  serpents;  and  if  they  18 
drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them ;  they 
shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover. 

So  then  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them,  19 
he  was  received  up  into  heaven,  and  sat  on  the 
right  hand  of  God.  And  they  went  forth,  and 
preached  every  where,  the  Lord  working  with  them, 
and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  following. 
Amen. 


15 


16 


20 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.   MARK 

REVISED  VERSION  WITH  ANNOTATIONS 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.    MARK 

The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  1 
of  God. 


Title.  The  title  which  this  book  bears  in  ancient  documents 
appears  in  different  forms.  In  the  oldest  of  our  Greek  MSS. 
it  is  simply  'According  to  Mark';  in  those  a  little  later  it  is  'The 
Gospel  according  to  Mark';  in  others  later  still  it  is  'The  Holy 
Gospel  according  to  Mark.'  We  do  not  know  when  the  records 
of  Christ's  life  first  came  to  have  the  distinctive  name  of  'Gospels.' 
It  may  have  been  at  a  very  early  period,  not  very  long  indeed 
after  they  got  into  circulation  ;  as  may  be  gathered  perhaps  from 
the  way  in  which  they  are  spoken  of  in  ancient  lists  of  the  N.  T. 
books,  and  by  writers  like  Irenaeus  of  Lyons,  Tertullian  of 
Carthage,  and  Clement  of  Alexandria,  belonging  to  the  end  of  the 
second  century  or  the  beginning  of  the  third.  We  have  no  reason 
to  suppose  that  it  was  given  them  by  their  authors  ;  nor  can  we 
say  that  it  was  believed  by  early  Christian  writers  to  have  been 
so  given.  One  of  the  best  of  the  Greek  Fathers,  Chrysostom  of 
Antioch,  declares  that  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John  did  not 
'write  their  names.'  The  designation  was  attached  to  the  books 
by  the  scribes  to  whom  we  owe  the  MSS.;  and  it  expresses 
their  belief,  or  the  traditional  belief,  regarding  the  authorship  of 
these  records.  In  the  present  case  it  means  not  that  the  book 
was  composed  after  Mark's  manner  merely,  or  on  the  basis  of 
matter  furnished  by  Mark,  but  that  Mark  himself  was  the  author 
of  the  Gospel  in  this  particular  written  form. 

i.  i  -8.  Introduction.  The  second  Gospel  is  the  Gospel  of  action, 
and  it  has  that  character  from  its  first  statement.  It  opens  in 
a  way  remarkable  for  its  brevity,  simplicity,  and  directness.  It 
takes  the  shortest  course  to  the  heart  of  its  subject— the  good 
news  of  the  actual  advent  of  Messiah.  It  dispenses  with  all  but 
the  briefest  and  most  obvious  introduction.  In  the  eight  verses 
which  serve  that  purpose  it  gives  the  historical  event  in  which 


io6  ST.  MARK   1.  i 

the  fulfilment  of  the  Divine  promise  began  to  declare  itself,  and 
in  which  the  writer  finds  the  point  of  issue  for  his  narrative. 

There  is  a  difference  therefore,  which  at  once  catches  the  eye, 
between  this  Gospel  and  the  other  three  in  the  way  in  which 
their  common  theme  is  approached.  Matthew  starts  with  our 
Lord's  genealogy,  birth,  and  infancy.  Luke  likewise  takes  in 
hand  the  question  of  his  descent,  and  reports  both  the  circum- 
stances of  his  birth  and  the  incidents  of  his  childhood  and  youth. 
John  begins  with  his  pre-existence,  and  carries  us  back  to  the 
eternal  antecedents  of  his  mission  in  the  flesh.  Mark,  on  the 
other  hand,  does  not  take  us  behind  the  appearance  of  the  Fore- 
runner. 

In  what  he  says  of  this  Forerunner,  too,  he  follows  his  own 
course.  Matthew  gives  with  some  circumstance  not  only  the 
burden,  but  also  the  effects  of  John's  preaching.  With  consider- 
able detail  Luke  reports  the  incidents  of  the  Baptist's  birth.  In 
like  manner  John  sets  the  career  of  the  second  Elias  in  the  front 
of  his  version  of  the  Gospel,  expounding  both  the  purpose  for 
which  he  was  sent  by  God  and  the  testimony  which  he  bore  to 
Jesus.  But  Mark  passes  by  most  of  these  things,  as  he  passes  by 
the  story  of  our  Lord's  earliest  years,  and  fixes  at  once  on  the 
Baptist's  preaching.  Having  it  in  view  to  give  an  account  of 
Christ's  public  ministry  and  official  work,  he  seeks  no  other 
starting-point  than  the  immediately  antecedent  event,  viz.  his 
baptism  at  the  hands  of  John.  It  is  as  a  preparation  for  this  that 
he  gives  his  picture  in  small  compass  of  the  man,  his  mission,  and 
his  doings  in  the  wilderness  of  Judaea. 

1.  The  opening  verse  stands  by  itself.  It  forms  the  heading 
for  the  narrative  as  a  whole,  or,  it  may  be,  for  the  paragraph 
occupied  with  the  Forerunner.  It  announces  the  subject  with 
which  the  book  is  to  be  engaged,  and  the  point  at  which  it  has 
its  historical  commencement.  The  subject  is  'the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ,'  that  is,  the  good  news  concerning  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Messiah,  long  looked  for,  but  now  come  and  seen  of  men  in 
i  the  fulfilment  of  his  Divine  vocation.  When  John  made  his 
appearance,  proclaiming  one  mightier  than  himself  who  came 
after  him,  the  glad  tidings  of  the  realization  of  God's  promise 
and  Israel's  hope  began  to  be  made  good. 

gospel.  This  familiar  word,  with  all  its  dear  associations, 
comes  to  us  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  'Godspell,'  which  means 
God-stoiy.  It  represents  a  Greek  word  which  signifies  in  the 
oldest  literature  a  present  or  reward  given  for  good  news,  later 
a  sacrifice  or  thank-offering  for  the  same,  and  later  still  the  good 
news  itself.  In  the  Greek  translation  of  the  O.T.  it  is  applied 
generally  to  any  kind  of  <  good  news '  (e.  g.  2  Sam.  iv.  10 ; 
2  Kings  vii.  9),  and  specifically  to  the  prophetic  announcement 
of  the  coming  of  the  Messianic  kingdom  (e.  g.  Isa.  lxi.  1-2).     In 


ST.  MARK   1.  i  107 

the  N.T.  it  is  closely  related  to  the  great  idea  of  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  means  definitely  '  the  good  news  of  Messiah's 
kingdom'  (Matt.  iv.  23,  ix.  35,  xxiv.  14,  &c).  The  present  \ 
passage  is  the  only  one  in  the  four  evangelic  narratives  in  which 
the  particular  phrase  'the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ'  is  found. 
Elsewhere  in  these  records  it  is  simply  'the  gospel,'  or  'the 
gospel  of  God'  (Mark  i.  14,  R. V.),  or  'the  gospel  of  the 
kingdom.'  In  the  Gospels  themselves  the  prevailing  idea  of 
the  phrase  'the  gospel'  is  that  of  the  good  news  proclaimed  or 
brought  in  by  Christ.  In  the  Epistles  it  is  that  of  the  good  news 
about  Christ.  But  even  in  the  Gospels  the  term  is  at  times 
connected  in  a  significant  way  with  the  person  of  Christ,  as 
e.  g.  in  the  words  'for  my  sake  and  the  gospel's'  (Mark  viii.  35  ; 
cf.  x.  29)  ;  and  in  this  opening  verse  of  Mark  we  see  the  transi- 
tion from  '  the  good  news  brought  by  Christ '  to  '  the  good  news 
regarding  Christ.'  The  word  is  used  by  Paul  more  frequently 
and  with  greater  variety  of  application  than  by  any  other  N.  T. 
writer.  It  occurs  but  once  in  Peter  (1  Pet.  iv.  17),  once  in 
the  Apocalypse  (xiv.  6),  twice  in  Acts  (xv.  7,  xx.  24),  four 
times  in  Matthew,  eight  times  in  Mark,  never  in  James,  never 
in  Luke's  Gospel,  never  in  John's  Gospel  or  Epistles,  never  in 
Hebrews,  but  some  fifty-eight  times  in  the  Epistles  ascribed  to 
Paul. 

of  Jesus  Christ.  The  person  whose  ministry  is  to  be  the 
subject  of  Mark's  narrative  is  designated  at  the  outset  with  some 
fullness.  He  has  first  the  personal  name  '  Jesus ' — a  name  common 
enough  among  the  Jews,  identical  with  the  O.T.  Jehoshua  (Num. 
xiii.  16  A.  V.\  Joshua  (Exod.  xxiv.  13,  &c),  or  Jeshua,  the  form 
which  it  had  after  the  Exile  (Neh.  vii.  7),  which  means  probably 
'Jehovah-salvation.'  This  is  followed  by  the  official  name  'Christ,' 
the  N.  T.  representative  of  the  Hebrew  word  for  'Anointed  One,' 
1  Messiah.'  Those  who  held  office  in  Israel  were  anointed  to  it, 
e.  g.  the  priest  (Lev.  iv.  3,  v.  16,  vi.  15 ;  Ps.  cv.  15).  But  in 
the  O.  T.  the  king  is  specially  spoken  of  as  anointed  (1  Sam. 
xxiv.  7,  11  ;  Ps.  ii.  2;  Isa.  xliv.  1,  &c),  and  in  Daniel  (ix.  25) 
Messiah  is  described  as  'prince.'  So  the  term  'Messiah'  or 
'  Christ '  became  a  theocratic  name,  expressing  the  idea  that  he 
who  was  to  come  to  restore  Israel  was  to  come  in  the  character 
of  a  king,  and  one  of  David's  line.  In  the  Book  of  Enoch,  perhaps 
about  the  close  of  the  second  century  b.  c,  and  in  the  later 
non-canonical  literature  of  Judaism,  it  is  used  of  the  Messianic 
king.  This  official  sense,  however,  gradually  fell  away,  and  the 
term  '  Christ '  became  a  personal  or  proper  name  like  Jesus.  As 
such  it  is  used  for  the  most  part  in  Acts  and  the  Epistles.  In  the 
Gospels,  except  in  a  few  passages,  especially  in  the  beginnings, 
it  still  retains  its  technical  sense,  and  is  best  rendered  '  //^Christ.' 

Sou  of  God.     To  the   personal   and  official  names  is  added 


108  ST.  MARK   1.  2 

2      Even  as  it  is  written  in  Isaiah  the  prophet, 

a  third  designation,  not  '  Son  of  David  '  or  '  Son  of  Abraham '  as 
in  the  opening  of  Matthew's  Gospel,  but  '  Son  of  God.'  This  is 
omitted  indeed  in  some  very  ancient  MSS.,  but  the  testimony  in 
its  favour  is  strong  enough  to  entitle  us  to  regard  it  as  a  part 
of  the  genuine  text.  It  is  an  important  title.  It  occurs  (not  to 
speak  of  equivalent  forms,  'the  Son,'  'the  only  begotten  Son,' 
'  my  beloved  Son,'  &c.)  some  nine  times  in  Matthew,  four  times 
in  Mark,  six  times  in  Luke,  and  ten  times  in  John.  It  is  used  of 
Christ  both  by  others  and  by  himself.  In  the  first  three  Gospels 
there  is  but  one  case  in  which  the  definite  phrase  'the  Son  of 
God '  is  applied  by  him  directly  to  himself  (Matt,  xxvii.  43)  ; 
but  there  are  various  instances  in  which  it  is  applied  indirectly, 
or  in  terms  of  similar  meaning.  It  expresses  his  peculiar  relation 
to  God,  a  relation  of  oneness,  yet  with  a  difference  ;  just  as  the 
title  '  the  Son  of  man '  expresses  his  peculiar  relation  to  man. 
These  two  names,  as  used  in  the  N.  T.,  have  their  roots  in  the 
O.  T.,  the  one  in  the  figure  of  the  '  Son  of  man '  in  Daniel,  the 
other  in  the  son  of  Jehovah  addressed  in  the  second  Psalm. 
Both  occur  also  in  the  non-canonical  writings,  and  are  to  be 
interpreted  in  their  light. 

In  this  opening  statement  the  evangelist  gives  his  own  view 
of  the  great  subject  of  his  narrative.  Here,  therefore,  the  title 
designates  that  subject  as  the  Messiah,  but  (as  Meyer  rightly 
puts  it)  '  in  the  believing  consciousness  of  the  metaphysical  sonship 
of  God.'  To  Mark,  writing  after  the  ministry,  the  death,  and  the 
resurrection,  the  person  whose  life  he  records  is  the  Messiah, 
but  also  one  related  to  God  by  nature,  having  his  being  from 
God  as  a  son  has  his  being  from  his  father. 

2-4.  How  are  these  verses  to  be  connected  with  each  other 
and  with  the  first  verse?  Some  take  the  first  three  verses 
together  as  forming  the  title  to  the  book  or  to  its  first  section, 
and  suppose  the  narrative  proper  to  begin  with  verse  4.  But 
this  gives  a  cumbrous  superscription.  Others  link  verses  1  and  4 
together,  and  deal  with  verses  2,  3  as  a  parenthesis.  In  that 
case  the  form  of  the  statement  would  be — '  The  beginning  of 
the  gospel  (and  all  in  accordance  with  ancient  prophecy  as  seen 
in  Malachi  and  Isaiah)  took  place  when  John  came  baptizing 
and  preaching.'  This  arrangement  is  even  more  awkward  than 
the  former.  Others  solve  the  difficulty  by  inserting  a  '  was '  for 
which  there  is  no  warrant,  as  if  the  paragraph  ran  thus — '  The 
beginning  of  the  gospel  was  as  it  is  written  in  prophecy.'  But 
the  verses  run  in  orderly  succession,  and  are  to  be  arranged  as 
in  the  R.  V.,  not  as  in  the  A.  V.  The  first  verse  stands  by  itself 
as  title.      The  narrative  then  begins  at  once  with  verse  2,  and 


ST.  MARK   1.  3  109 

Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face, 
Who  shall  prepare  thy  way ; 
The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
Make  ye  ready  the  way  of  the  Lord, 

proceeds  connectedly  and  continously  thus — 'Just  as  it  is  written 
in  ancient  prophecy  that  one  should  come  before  the  Messiah  to 
prepare  the  way  for  him,  so  did  John  appear  baptizing  and 
preaching.' 

2.  in  Isaiah  the  prophet.  Unlike  Matthew,  Mark  seldom 
introduces  the  word  of  prophecy.  Here,  however,  he  departs 
from  his  usual  practice,  and  brings  in  two  quotations.  This  he 
does  with  the  view  of  shewing  that  the  events  in  which  he  recog- 
nizes '  the  beginning  of  the  gospel '  took  place  in  accordance  with 
the  voice  of  prophecy,  and  formed  part  of  the  Divine  plan.  The 
true  reading  here,  as  the  testimony  of  ancient  documents  decisively 
proves,  is  not  '  in  the  prophets,'  as  the  A.  V.  has  it,  but  '  in  the 
prophet  Isaiah ,'  as  the  R.  V.  puts  it.  While  Mark  gives  two 
distinct  quotations,  one  from  Malachi  and  another  from  Isaiah, 
he  names  only  the  latter  prophet  as  authority  or  source.  So 
in  Matt.  xxi.  4,  5  we  find  a  quotation  referred  to  '  the  prophet,' 
which  combines  words  of  Zechariah  with  words  of  Isaiah  (Zech. 
ix.  9  ;  Isa.  lxii.  11). 

Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,  Who  shall 
prepare  thy  way.  Omit  with  the  R.  V.  the  words  'before  thee* 
in  the  A.  V.  The  first  quotation  is  from  Mai.  iii.  1.  In  adapting 
it  to  his  purpose  here  the  evangelist  makes  certain  changes  in 
it.  The  'before  me'  of  Malachi  becomes  'before  thy  face,'  and 
is  transferred  from  the  second  clause  to  the  first.  Thus  the 
'messenger'  who,  according  to  the  prophet,  is  sent  before  Jehovah, 
is  said  here  to  be  sent  before  the  Messiah.  What  is  spoken  in 
Malachi  by  Jehovah  regarding  himself,  is  spoken  here  by  the  Lord 
concerning  His  anointed.  The  work  ascribed  to  the  '  messenger ' 
in  the  prophecy  is  a  work  of  preparation  for  the  sudden  coming 
of  Jehovah  in  judgement  to  His  temple.  The  work  ascribed  to 
the  Forerunner  in  the  Gospel  is  that  of  religious  preparation  for 
the  advent  of  the  object  of  Israel's  hope.  In  the  words  '  who 
shall  prepare  thy  way '  we  have  a  figure  taken  from  the  custom, 
necessary  in  days  when  roads  were  few  and  ill  kept,  of  sending 
on  an  official  to  make  the  ways  passable,  when  a  monarch  was 
to  go  on  a  journey  or  to  make  a  royal  progress.  As  officers  of 
state  made  roads  ready  for  the  visits  of  kings,  so  the  'messenger' 
was  to  make  spiritual  preparation  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord's 
anointed. 

3.  The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Make  ye  ready 


no  ST.  MARK   1.  4 

Make  his  paths  straight; 
4  John  came,  who  baptized  in  the  wilderness  and  preached 

the  -way  of  the  Lord,  Make  his  paths  straight.  The  second 
quotation  is  from  Isa.  xl.  3.  It  gives  the  same  idea  as  the  former, 
but  with  greater  fullness,  and  again  with  some  modification  of  the 
original.  The  definition  of  locality,  which  in  the  prophecy  de- 
scribes the  scene  of  the  preparation  of  the  Lord's  ways,  is  omitted 
here.  In  the  prophecy  the  voice  is  that  of  a  herald  of  Jehovah  ; 
in  the  Gospel  it  is  the  voice  of  John  with  reference  to  Christ. 
The  passage  in  Isaiah  has  the  return  from  Babylon  in  view.  It 
proclaims  the  glorious  news  of  that  deliverance,  and  gives  the  call 
to  have  all  things  ready  for  Jehovah  when  He  brings  His  people 
out  of  exile  through  the  desert  to  their  land.  The  kingdom  of 
God  in  Israel  was  to  have  its  completer  realization  in  the  Messianic 
kingdom,  and  events  in  the  history  of  Israel  became  typical  or 
representative  of  events  in  the  history  of  Christ  and  his  kingdom. 
So  the  great  national  deliverance  was  taken  to  point  forward  to 
the  greater  Messianic  deliverance,  and  the  incident  of  the  call  to 
a  material  preparation  in  the  former  case  is  interpreted  here  as 
typical  or  representative  of  the  Forerunner's  summons  of  the  Jews 
to  a  spiritual  preparation  in  the  latter. 

4.  The  best  reading  here  is  that  which  is  represented  neither  by 
the  'John  did  baptize  .  .  .  and  preach1  of  the  A.  V.,  nor  by  the 
R.  V.  as  above,  but  by  this — \  John  who  baptized  (John  the 
baptizer)  came  upon  the  scene  in  the  wilderness  preaching.'  This, 
which  is  on  the  whole  the  best  accredited  reading,  is  most  in 
harmony  with  the  fact  that  the  quotations  have  nothing  to  say 
of  a  baptism.  It  also  puts  the  preaching  and  the  baptizing  in  their 
proper  relations ;  whereas  \  baptized  and  preached  '  puts  that  first 
which  was  second.  Thus  the  sentence  designates  John  by  the 
thing  which  distinguished  him  from  others,  viz.  his  baptizing,  and 
proceeds  to  state  how  he  performed  the  part  of  forerunner,  viz. 
by  preaching. 

John  :  the  Hebrew  Johanan,  which  means  probably  '  Jehovah- 
grace,'  '  the  Lord  is  gracious.'  John  was  kinsman  to  Jesus  and 
older  by  some  six  months. 

came  :  the  word  so  poorly  rendered  '  did  baptize '  in  the  A.  V. 
means  'appeared.'  'came  upon  the  scene.'  Till  now  John  had 
lived  in  seclusion  '  in  the  deserts'  (Luke  i.  80).  At  last  he  comes 
forth, '  the  time  of  his  shewing  unto  Israel'  having  arrived,  and  his 
emergence  marks  a  great  stage  in  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

in  the  wilderness.  Thus  simply  is  the  scene  of  John's 
ministry  described.  It  was  well  enough  known  to  need  no  more 
precise  definition.     In  Matthew  it  is  i  the  wilderness  of  Judaea ' 


ST.  MARK   1.  5  in 

the  baptism  of  repentance  unto  remission  of  sins.     And  5 
there  went  out  unto  him  all  the  country  of  Judaea,  and 

(iii.  i).  In  the  O.  T.  it  is '  the  wilderness  '  (Joshua  xv.  6i\  or  '  the 
wilderness  of  Judah  '  (Judges  i.  16),  its  eastern  side  along  the  Dead 
Sea  being  also  called  Jcshimon,  the  '  desolation,'  the  '  horror,' the 
'devastation1  (i  Sam.  xxiii.  19,  24).  The  name  seems  to  have 
been  given  to  the  stretch  of  territory  extending  from  Tekoa  to  the 
Dead  Sea,  having  the  Jordan  on  its  outskirts — a  tract  of  country 
not  utterly  bare  and  profitless,  but  useful  in  parts  as  pasture-ground 
and  suitable  for  the  nomad,  yet  generally  broken,  barren,  rugged, 
treeless,  and  waterless  save  for  a  well  here  and  there,  and  in 
parts  dreary,  savage,  and  forbidding. 

preached:  the  word  means  literally  proclaimed,  announced  like 
a  herald,  and  it  may  have  this  sense  in  verse  7. 

the  baptism  of  repentance,  that  is,  the  baptism  characterized 
by  or  implying  repentance.  '  Repentance '  was  the  great  word  on 
John's  lips,  and  what  he  pressed  on  men  was  not  baptism  generally 
or  for  its  own  sake,  but  the  kind  of  baptism  which  befitted  the 
approach  of  the  Messianic  kingdom  and  prepared  men  for  the 
Messiah  himself  (cf.  Matt.  iii.  7-10).  In  the  belief  of  the  more 
spiritual  Jews,  the  sin  of  the  people  was  the  cause  of  the  delay  of 
Messiah's  advent  ;  and  John's  baptism  was  a  baptism  that  involved 
the  sense  and  confession  of  sin  and  carried  with  it  the  obligation 
to  repent.  The  '  repentance  '  here  in  view  is  expressed  by  a  dif- 
ferent word  from  that  used  in  a  few  passages  elsewhere,  viz. 
Matt.  xxi.  29,  32,  xxvii.  3  ;  2  Cor.  vii.  10,  &c.  ;  Heb.  vii.  21.  In 
these  the  word  (metameleia)  means  sorrow  for  sin.  Here  the  term 
(ntetanoia)  means  much  more  than  that— neither  on  the  one  hand 
mere  grief  or  regret  for  sin,  nor  on  the  other  only  a  change  of  life 
which  need  be  no  more  than  outward  reformation,  but  a  change  of 
mind,  a  change  of  one's  views  of  himself  and  God  and  all  things, 
carrying  with  it  a  change  of  life.  It  is  one  of  the  many  words 
which  received  a  new,  deeper,  more  spiritual  significance  in 
Christianity. 

unto  remission  of  sins :  John's  baptism,  therefore,  was  not 
administered  for  its  own  sake,  but  with  a  view  to  forgiveness. 
Nor  again  is  it  said  that  it  effected  forgiveness  by  some  virtue  in 
itself,  but  that  it  looked  to  remission  of  sins  as  its  end.  It  is  to  be 
observed,  too,  that  John's  idea  of  repentance  was  essentially  the 
O.  T.  idea,  not  yet  the  Christian — a  repentance  which  meant 
a  change  in  harmony  with  the  moral  requirements  of  the  law,  not 
the  spiritual  renewal  connected  with  faith  as  faith  is  explained  in 
the  N.  T. 

5.  And  there  went  out  unto  him  all  the  country  of  Judaea,  and 
all  they  of  Jerusalem.     Mark's  picture  of  the  man  and  his  work 


ii2  ST.  MARK   1.  5 

all  they  of  Jerusalem  :   and  they  were  baptized  of  him 

is  less  complete  than  Matthew's  or  Luke's.  But  it  is  very  graphic, 
and  it  has  some  points  of  its  own.  It  fixes  attention  on  the  success 
of  John's  ministry  by  enlarging  on  the  crowds  attracted  by  it. 
It  speaks  as  if  the  whole  population — and  not  only  the  country- 
folk from  all  parts  of  the  Judaean  territory,  but  even  the  people 
of  Jerusalem — had  come  to  him  collectively  (the  'all'  belongs  to 
this  sentence,  as  in  the  R.  V.,  not  to  the  'were  baptized,'  as  in 
the  A.  V.),  meaning  by  that  strong  statement  that  the  mass  of  the 
people  had  done  so.  We  see  by  Matthew  and  Luke  with  what 
intrepid  faithfulness  he  spoke  to  their  consciences. 

and  they  were  baptized  of  him  in  the  river  Jordan. 
Matthew  says  simply  'in  Jordan'  ;  Mark,  writing  for  those  not 
familiar  with  the  Holy  Land,  is  more  precise.  In  most  cases  the 
name  is  '  the  Jordan,'  and  it  is  usually  taken  etymologically  to 
mean  'the  descender.5  Other  explanations,  however,  are  given. 
In  ancient  times  some  thought  it  meant  '  the  river  Dan/  or  '  the 
river  of  two  sources,  Jor  and  Dan,'  and  some  now  understand  it 
to  mean  '  watering-place.'  Earth's  surface  can  shew  few  rivers 
to  match  this  one,  either  in  historical  associations  or  in  peculiarity 
of  physical  features.  The  Jordan  has  been  connected  with  the 
greatest  events  in  the  story  of  Israel — with  memorable  passages 
in  the  careers  of  Gideon,  Elijah,  Elisha,  David  and  others,  and 
with  the  crowning  consecration  of  the  baptism  of  our  Lord.  It 
flows  through  one  of  the  most  singular  depressions — '  a  rift  more 
that  160  miles  long,  and  from  2  to  15  broad,  which  falls  from  the 
sea-level  to  as  deep  as  1,292  feet  below  it  at  the  coast  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  while  the  bottom  of  the  latter  is  1,300  feet  deeper  still* 
(G.  A.  Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,  p.  468).  Its 
course  is  so  sinuous  that  it  travels  at  least  200  miles  in  a  direct 
line  of  sixty-five  miles.  It  is  thus  described  by  one  who  made  his 
adventurous  way  along  it  by  boat.  '  The  river  .  .  .  curved  and 
twisted  north,  south,  east,  and  west,  turning  in  the  short  space  of 
half  an  hour  to  every  quarter  of  the  compass,  seeming  as  if  desirous 
to  prolong  its  luxuriant  meanderings  in  the  calm  and  silent  valley, 
and  reluctant  to  pour  its  sweet  and  sacred  waters  into  the  accursed 
waters  of  the  bitter  sea  '  (Lynch,  Narrative,  p.  211). 

baptized.  The  term  was  a  familiar  one  in  ancient  Greek, 
and  was  used  in  a  variety  of  applications.  It  means  literally  to 
dip  in  or  under  water,  to  immerse,  but  also  to  lave,  tvash,  &c. 
The  usual  form  of  baptism  in  ancient  times  and  in  these  Eastern 
countries  was  by  immersion.  In  some  cases  something  short 
of  total  immersion  may  have  been  employed,  as  perhaps  in  the 
instance  of  the  3,000  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  At  an  early  period 
in  the  history  of  the  Church,  as  we  gather  from  the  interesting 
writing  known  as  the  Didache  or  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 


ST.  MARK   1.  6  113 

in  the  river  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins.     And  John  6 
was  clothed  with  camel's  hair,  and  had  a  leathern  girdle 
about  his  loins,  and  did  eat  locusts  and  wild  honey. 

it  was  allowable  to  pour  water  upon  the  head  when  facilities 
for  immersion  failed  ;  and  at  an  early  period  pouring,  affusion, 
or  aspersion  was  practised  in  the  case  of  the  sick.  This  became 
the  established  custom  for  all  in  the  Western  Church  after  the 
thirteenth  century.  But  in  the  Eastern  Church  immersion  has 
been  the  general  practice  from  the  first  on  to  our  own  day.  In  that 
vast  communion  generally,  and  in  the  orthodox  churches  of  Russia 
in  particular,  triple  immersion  is  the  order,  that  is,  three  distinct 
acts  of  dipping,  in  the  names  severally  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost.  To  these  churches  baptism  by  a  single  immersion,  whether 
in  the  case  of  modern  Baptist,  Roman  Catholic,  or  any  other,  is  no 
baptism. 

confessing1  their  sins.  The  verb  is  a  strong  one,  expressing 
perhaps  the  freedom  and  the  openness  of  the  act.  It  was  not 
a  private  confession  to  John  himself. 

6.  And  John  was  clothed  with  camel's  hair.  Everything 
about  John  was  in  keeping  with  his  ascetic  character,  his  likeness 
to  Elijah,  and  the  seriousness  of  the  call  to  repentance  which  he 
addressed  to  stiff-necked  Jews.  His  attire  consisted  of  a  short, 
coarse  tunic  made  of  a  rough  cloth  woven  of  camel's  hair  (not  of 
camel's  skin),  such  as  is  still  used  in  the  East  for  raiment  and  for 
the  covering  of  tents.  It  was  the  sort  of  garment  that  was  worn 
by  the  prophets  of  old  (Zech.  xiii.  4),  and  by  Elijah  in  particular 
(2  Kings  i.  8). 

and  had  a  leathern  girdle  about  his  loins.  The  girdle  was 
needed  to  keep  the  loose  robe  right  for  purposes  of  toil  or  rapid 
movement.  It  was  a  part  of  their  attire  on  which  men  laid  much 
store.  It  was  often  made  of  costl3T  material,  silk,  cotton,  fine  linen, 
and  ornamented  with  silver  or  gold.  In  John's  case  the  girdle 
corresponded  with  the  coat.  It  was  of  skin,  like  the  girdle  of 
rough,  untanned  leather  which  is  still  worn  by  the  Bedouin,  the 
poor  labourer,  and  the  dervish. 

and  did  eat  locusts.  His  food  was  only  what  the  desert 
could  provide.  These  locusts  have  been  mistakenly  supposed  to 
be  the  luscious  pods  of  the  locust-bean,  called  by  the  monks  of 
Palestine  'St.  John's  bread.'  They  are  the  creatures  well  known 
for  their  destructive  work  on  all  kinds  of  herbage  and  leafage. 
The  species  of  locust  allowed  by  the  law  to  be  eaten  are  given  in 
Lev.  xi.  22.  They  are  still  eaten  by  the  Bedouin  Arabs  and  the 
poorer  classes,  whose  habit  is  to  tear  off  the  wings  and  legs  and 
eat  the  body,  roasted  or  boiled,  with  a  sprinkling  of  salt. 

and  wild  honey.     It  is  a  question  whether  the  honey  here 


ii4  ST-  MARK  1.  7,8 

7  And  he  preached,  saying,  There  cometh  after  me  he 
that  is  mightier  than  I,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am 

8  not  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  unloose.     I  baptized  you 

in  view  is  the  tree-honey  or  the  bee-honey.  The  phrase  used  in 
the  Greek  is  one  applied  to  a  sweet  gum  that  exudes  from  certain 
trees,  like  the  palm  and  the  fig,  and  for  this  reason  some  of  our 
best  scholars  think  the  tree-honey  must  be  meant  here.  But  most 
take  it  to  be  the  wild  honey,  which  is  said  to  be  produced  in  great 
quantities  in  the  rugged  district  in  question.  'The  innumerable 
fissures  and  clefts  of  the  limestone  rocks  which  everywhere  flank 
the  valleys,'  says  Dr.  Tristram,  'afford  in  their  recesses  secure 
shelter  for  any  number  of  swarms  of  wild  bees  ;  and  many  of  the 
Bedouin,  particularly  about  the  wilderness  of  Judaea,  obtain  their 
subsistence  by  bee-hunting,  bringing  into  Jerusalem  jars  of  that 
wild  honey  on  which  John  the  Baptist  fed  in  the  wilderness 
(The  Land  of  Israel,  p.  88).  In  the  O.  T.  it  is  described  as  found 
in  the  hollows  of  rocks  (Deut.  xxxii.  13),  or  in  trees,  as  in  the 
pathetic  case  of  Jonathan  (1  Sam.  xiv.  25-27).  It  was  not  per- 
mitted to  be  used  in  any  offering  to  God,  as  being  liable  to  ferment 

(Lev.  ii.  11). 

7.  And  he  preached,  saying,  There  cometh  after  me  he  that 
is  mightier  than  I.  It  is  again  the  preaching,  not  the  baptizing, 
that  Mark  signalizes  in  John  ;  and  the  essence  of  the  preaching 
that  made  the  Baptist's  real  function  is  the  announcement  of 
another  greater  than  John  himself,  the  One  who  had  been  definitely 
in  view  as  destined  to  come  after  him.  It  is  not  explained  here 
in  what  the  greater  might  of  this  One  consists,  but  the  context 
suggests  that  it  was  in  the  superiority  of  the  baptism  with  which 
he  was  to  baptize.  The  verb  implies,  too,  that  the  announcement 
recorded  here  was  not  one  that  John  made  on  a  single  occasion, 
but  one  that  he  continued  to  make  as  he  preached. 

the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  (or,  qualified) 
to  stoop  down  and  unloose.  The  sandal,  which  covered  only  the 
sole,  was  fastened  by  a  thong  or  strap.  It  was  the  duty  of  slaves 
of  the  lowest  rank  to  carry,  fetch,  and  remove  the  master's 
sandals.  To  untie  the  thong  was,  if  possible,  a  still  more  servile 
duty.  Notice  the  graphic  turn  given  to  Mark's  simple  statement 
by  the  introduction  of  the  act  of  stooping  in  order  to  do  the  untying  : 
so  little  was  the  preacher  in  comparison  with  his  Subject.  He  held 
himself  inferior  in  power  and  dignity,  unfit  even  to  do  the  most 
menial  service  to  that  greater  One. 

8.  I  baptized  you  with  water ;  tout  he  shall  toaptize  you  with 
the  Holy  Ghost.  With  whatever  awe  it  was  regarded  by  the 
Jews,  and  whatever  significance  belonged  to  it,  his  baptism,  John 
was  eager  to  declare,  was  as  inferior  to  that  which  was  to  succeed 


ST.  MARK   1.  8  115 

with  water ;  but  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

it  as  he  was  himself  less  than  that  Other.  The  one  baptism 
worked  by  water,  speaking  of  the  need  of  repentance  and  serving 
as  the  sign  of  an  inward  change  ;  the  other  was  the  reality  effect- 
ing that  change.  The  latter  was  this  because  it  was  a  baptism 
'  with  (or  in  the  Holy  Ghost,'  one  that  worked  by  the  instrument, 
or  moved  within  the  sphere,  of  the  Spirit,  and  so  could  reach 
the  inner  life,  and  apply  influences  there  to  touch  the  springs  of 
thought  and  action  with  purification  and  renewal.  Speaking  from 
the  O.  T.  standpoint,  John  could  not  mean  by  'the  Holy  Ghost' 
all  that  we  understand  by  that  great  term.  In  the  O.  T.  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  only  on  the  way  to  be  the  personal  Agent  who  is  made 
known  to  us  in  the  N.  T.  The  'spirit  of  God,'  the  'spirit  of  the 
Lord,'  the  'spirit  of  holiness  '  there  is  the  power  or  energy  of  God 
that  appears  as  the  life-giving  principle  of  the  world,  the  source  of 
the  gifts  of  soldier,  king,  artificer,  prophet ;  presented  also  in 
higher  aspects,  especially  in  the  poetical  and  prophetical  books, 
and  with  a  nearer  approach  to  personal  qualities,  as  the  guide  and 
helper  of  men,  the  inspiration  of  their  life,  and  the  endowment  of 
Messiah  (cf.  Gen.  i.  2;  Exod.  xxxi.  3  ;  Judges  iii.  10;  Job  xxvi.  13, 
xxxiii.  4;  Ps.  civ.  30;  Isa.  xi.  2,  xlii.  1,  lix.  21,  lxi.  1,  Ixiii.  10, 
Mic.  iii.  8).  Prophecy  spoke  of  an  effusion  of  the  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh  as  one  of  the  features  of  the  Messianic  age  (Isa.  xliv.  3 ; 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  25  ;  Joel  ii.  28). 

The  precise  nature  and  affinities  of  John's  baptism  have  been 
much  discussed.  Ceremonial  ablutions  have  been  common  to  many 
religions.  The  Jews  had  their  own  particular  ablutions  and  puri- 
fications by  water,  as  in  the  consecration  of  priests  (Exod.  xxix. 
4),  the  cleansing  of  lepers,  &c.  (Lev.  xiv.  8,  &c).  They  had  also 
a  special  application  of  the  rite  of  ablution  in  the  case  of  proselytes, 
these  being  received  on  the  footing  of  circumcision,  the  offering  of 
a  sacrifice,  and  the  cleansing  which  preceded  the  presentation 
of  the  oblation.  It  is  still  an  unsettled  question,  however,  whether 
this  third  point  in  the  ceremonial  had  a  place  before  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  washing  in  question  was  also  one  that  was 
performed  by  the  offerer  on  himself.  Further,  in  the  words  of  the 
great  prophets  and  also  in  some  of  the  Psalms,  the  terms  in  which 
these  ceremonial  ablutions  were  expressed  had  become  figures 
of  moral  processes  and  results  (Isa.  i.  16 ;  Ezek.  xxxv.  25  ; 
Zech.  xiii.  1  ;  Ps.  Ii.  4).  The  course  of  development  which  issued 
in  John's  baptism  lay  along  these  lines.  It  differed  from  previous 
baptisms  or  ablutions  in  its  requirement  of  the  deep,  inward  change 
meant  by  repentance,  in  the  open  confession  of  sin  which  went  with 
it,  in  its  having  all  sins  in  view,  and  not  merely  certain  special 
offences,  in  its  being  applicable  to  Jews  as  well  as  Gentiles,  and  in 
its  function  as  a  preparation  for  the  kingdom  of  God.      It  differed 

I     2 


n6  ST.  MARK   1.  9 

9      And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  Jesus  came 
from  Nazareth  of  Galilee,  and  was  baptized  of  John  in 

from  the  Christian  baptism  which  followed  it  in  the  specific 
connexion  of  the  latter  with  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  with  the 
gift  of  the  Spirit. 

9-11.  The  Baptism:  cf.  Mark  iii.  13-17 ;  Luke  iii.  21,22. 
This  paragraph  deals  with  the  baptism  of  Jesus.  That  meant 
his  ordination  to  his  public  ministry.  In  that  act  the  ministry  of 
John  had  its  culmination.  It  was  an  event  of  such  moment  that 
all  the  evangelists  report  it,  John  in  part  and  indirectly  (John 
i.  29-34),  Matthew  at  most  length.  Mark's  account  of  it  is  brief, 
but  vivid  and  circumstantial,  giving  time,  place,  and  result. 

9*.  in  those  days:  i.e.  the  time  when  John  was  announcing  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah  and  baptizing  the  people.  Luke  (iii.  23) 
tells  us  that  Jesus  'when  he  began  to  teach,  was  about  thirty 
years  of  age.'  That  was  the  age  appointed  under  the  Levitical 
law  for  the  beginning  of  the  service  of  every  Levite  who  'came 
to  do  the  work  of  service,  and  the  work  of  bearing  burdens  in  the 
tent  of  meeting'  (Num.  iv.  43,  47). 

Nazareth  of  Galilee  is  named  as  the  place  from  which  Jesus 
now  came,  and  in  which  he  had  hitherto  been  residing  in  seclu- 
sion and  meek  obedience.  Mark's  plan  does  not  require  him  to 
introduce  Bethlehem  and  the  days  of  the  infancy.  Nazareth,  now 
known  among  the  Arabs  as  en-Nasim,  seems  never  to  have  risen 
to  any  importance,  and  it  is  not  mentioned  either  in  the  O.  T. 
or  in  Josephus.  It  was  planted  on  one  of  the  limestone  hills  of 
the  Lebanon,  some  1,600  feet  high,  where  the  range  dips  down 
into  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon.  It  occupied  a  secluded  position, 
hidden  in  a  basin  of  the  hills,  off  the  main  lines  of  traffic,  yet  at 
no  great  distance  from  Jerusalem,  Capernaum,  Tiberias,  and  other 
places  of  note.  It  was  not  so  remote  as  to  cut  its  inhabitants 
off  from  the  strong,  active,  varied  life  of  Northern  Palestine. 
Travellers  tell  us  of  the  superb  panorama  that  opens  out  to  the 
eye  from  the  heights  about  it  and  above  it.  It  is  reported  to  be 
now  a  somewhat  thriving  town. 

■baptized  ...  in  Jordan :  lit.  '  into  Jordan,'  a  phrase  never  used 
again  in  the  N.  T.,  pointing  probably  to  immersion  as  the  mode. 
The  precise  locality  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus  is  much  debated. 
The  traditions  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  churches  agree  in  placing 
it  not  far  from  Jericho,  but  they  differ  otherwise,  the  tradition  of 
the  Greek  church  connecting  it  with  a  site  two  or  three  miles 
below  that  to  which  the  Latin  tradition  points.  John  speaks  of 
the  Baptist  baptizing  in  '  Bethabara  (or  Bethany)  beyond  Jordan,' 
and  again  'in  JEnon,  near  to  Salim'  (i.  28,  iii.  23\  Hence  some 
would  put  it  at  a  day's  journey  from    Nazareth,   north-east   of 


ST.  MARK   1.  10  117 

the   Jordan.      And  straightway  coming   up  out  of  the  *o 
water,  he  saw  the  heavens  rent  asunder,  and  the  Spirit 

Jacob's  Well — at  the  ancient  ford  near  Succoth,  or  at  a  more 
southern  ford  not  far  from  Jericho.  Col.  Conder  places  the 
Bcthabara  of  John  i.  28  at  the  ford  Abarah,  just  north  of  Beisan, 
and  thinks  that  the  better  reading  Bethany  points  to  the  idea  that 
the  scene  of  the  baptism  was  near  Bashan.  But  this  is  little  more 
than  conjecture.  And  as  to  ^Enon  and  Salim.  though  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  speak  of  the  latter  as  eight  Roman  miles  south  of  Scytho- 
polis,  we  do  not  know  the  real  position  either  of  the  one  or  of  the 
other. 

Christ's  submission  to  John's  baptism  has  been  affirmed  by 
some  to  negative  his  sinlessness.  How  could  one,  it  has  been 
asked,  who  had  no  consciousness  of  sin  seek  '  the  baptism  of 
repentance '  ?  How  could  one,  who  had  no  confession  of  sin  to 
make,  approach  with  any  propriety  an  ordinance  which  required 
open  confession  of  sin,  and  looked  to  remission  of  sin  ?  It  might 
be  difficult  to  answer  that  question  if  John's  baptism  related  only 
to  confession  and  forgiveness  of  sin.  But  its  scope  was  wider. 
Its  largest  relation  was  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  its  ultimate 
significance  lay  in  the  preparation  for  that.  Christ  came  to  esta- 
blish that  kingdom  among  men,  and  this  ordinance  was  the  definite 
dedication  of  himself  to  the  service  of  that  kingdom.  His  baptism 
was  the  act  by  which  he  separated  himself  from  the  position  of 
a  private  Jew  and  from  his  previous  life,  and  took  up  the  Messianic 
office  as  the  vocation  to  which  all  else  had  to  be  subordinate. 
Further,  as  he  subjected  himself  to  the  common  law  of  growth 
in  his  physical,  intellectual,  and  ethical  being,  he  was  to  advance 
from  one  stage  of  holy  perfection  to  another  in  the  fulfilment  of 
that  vocation.  And  this  ordinance  meant  the  consecration  of  him- 
self to  a  moral  task  implying  an  ever-deepening  obedience,  an 
ever-expanding  spiritual  achievement,  an  ever-enlarging  victory 
over  all  that  could  compete  with  his  Father's  will  or  compromise 
the  interests  of  His  kingdom. 

IO.  And  straightway.  Mark  uses  here  one  of  his  favourite 
words,  variously  rendered,  as  e.  g.  '  straightway,'  '  immediately,' 
'forthwith.'  The  act  of  baptism  was  followed  by  two  events 
which  made  it  memorable  and  significant — the  illapse  of  the  Spirit 
and  the  Divine  attestation  of  the  Sonship  of  Jesus. 

coming-  up  out  of  the  water.  The  connexion  implies  that 
at  once  on  being  baptized,  Jesus  came  out  of  the  stream  and  had 
the  experiences  here  recorded. 

he  saw  the  heavens  rent  asunder :  or  better,  '  in  the  act 
of  rending.'  The  expression  is  a  striking  one,  better  given  as 
'rending'  than  as  'opened'  (A.  VA  The  verb  is  the  one  that  is 
used  of  the  sharp  dividing  of  a  multitude  (Acts  xiv.  4,  xxiii.  7),  and 


n8  ST.  MARK   1.  ii 

1 1  as  a  dove  descending  upon  him  :  and  a  voice  came  out 

of  the  rending  or  tearing  of  a  piece  of  old  cloth  (Luke  v.  36),  the 
breaking  of  a  net  (John  xxi.  11),  the  rending  of  the  veil  of  the 
temple,  and  the  rending  of  the  rocks  (Matt,  xxvii.  51).  Compare 
the  opening  of  the  heavens  in  the  case  of  Stephen  (Acts  vii.  56), 
and  in  that  of  Peter's  vision  (Acts  x.  11). 

and  the  Spirit  as  a  dove  descending  upon  him.  Luke 
expresses  it  so — '  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  form, 
as  a  dove,  upon  him.1  It  may  not  mean  perhaps  that  the  Spirit 
took  the  actual  form  of  a  dove,  but  that  something  was  seen  which 
had  a  dove-like  appearance.  So  on  the  occasion  of  the  Pentecostal 
effusion  there  was  a  visible  form  which  had  the  appearance  of 
cloven  tongues  of  fire.  The  words  imply  that  there  was  some  real 
outward  phenomenon,  and  not  merely  a  subjective  vision.  But 
the  appearance  may  not  have  seemed  extraordinary,  or  have 
conveyed  the  impression  of  something  out  of  course  to  an}'  but 
John  and  Jesus  ;  just  as  the  voice  heard  at  a  later  period  was  under- 
stood indeed  by  Jesus,  but  seemed  like  thunder  to  the  bystanders 
(John  xii.  29).  It  was  the  objective  sign  to  the  Forerunner  that 
he  whom  he  baptized  was  indeed  the  Messiah.  It  was  also  a  sign 
to  our  Lord  himself,  as  a  comparison  of  the  Synoptical  Gospels 
suggests,  that  the  hour  for  taking  up  his  official  ministry  was 
come.  The  dove  has  a  place  in  the  familiar  imagery  of  the  O.  T. 
(Ps.  lxviii.  13;  Song  of  Sol.  ii.  12).  It  was,  as  it  still  is,  a  symbol  of 
such  qualities  as  innocence,  gentleness,  tenderness.  The  dove-like 
form,  therefore,  of  the  descent  may  point  to  these  as  the  qualities 
of  the  gift  bestowed  on  the  Messiah  for  his  work. 

Did  this  descent  of  the  Spirit,  however,  really  communicate  any- 
thing to  Jesus  ?  Some  would  say  that  it  meant  the  entrance  of  the 
Logos,  the  Eternal  Word,  into  the  man  Jesus  ;  which  is  certainly 
to  say  too  much.  Others,  going  to  the  opposite  extreme,  would 
say  that  as  Christ  had  the  Divine  nature  he  could  need  no  new 
impartation  of  the  Spirit  beyond  what  he  already  had.  But  the 
words,  especially  in  view  of  John  iii.  34,  indicate  a  real  communi- 
cation of  the  Spirit,  one  that  had  special  relation  to  his  Messianic 
work,  and  one  that  was  to  be  permanent  (John  i.  33^.  It  was 
indeed  by  the  Spirit  in  him  that  he  grew  in  wisdom  and  in  favour 
with  God  and  with  man.  It  was  by  the  Spirit  in  him  that  in 
perfect  righteousness  he  fulfilled  the  conditions  of  his  preparation 
in  the  long  years  of  his  privacy.  It  was  by  the  Spirit  in  him  that 
he  became  conscious  more  and  more  of  his  true  relation  to  God, 
and  of  the  mission  appointed  him  by  his  Father.  But  he  stood 
now  at  the  age  of  his  maturity,  and  the  time  of  his  entrance  on 
the  actual  discharge  of  his  mission.  For  his  special  vocation  he 
received  a  special  anointing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  an  endowment 
by  the  Spirit  with  the  powers  needed  for  his  work. 


ST.  MARK  1.  12  119 

of  the  heavens,  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son,  in  thee  I  am 
well  pleased. 

And  straightway  the  Spirit  driveth  him  forth  into  the  12 

11.  and  a  voice  came  out  of  the  heavens,  Thou  art  my  "beloved 
Son.  With  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  came  an  uttered  testimony 
to  the  Sonship  of  Jesus.  The  term  'beloved'  (cf.  Gen.  xxii.  2; 
Isa.  xlii.  1),  which  in  the  Epistles  is  used  of  the  Christian  man, 
appears  to  be  limited  in  the  Gospels  to  Christ,  as  God's  Son  in 
a  peculiar  sense.  Even  in  the  parables,  where  it  seems  to  be 
applied  to  men,  it  is  used  with  reference  to  Christ  (Mark  xii.  6; 
Luke  xx.  13).  It  is  not  found  in  John's  Gospel,  but  is  equivalent 
to  the  '  only-begotten '  which  is  the  phrase  there.  It  occurs 
as  a  title  of  Messiah  in  the  non-canonical  Jewish  books,  such  as 
the  Testaments  of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs,  the  Ascension  of  Isaiah,  &c. 
Here  the  address  '  my  beloved  Son '  designates  Jesus  as  the  i 
Messiah,  yet  not  in  respect  of  office  only,  but  with  the  further  ; 
idea  of  his  peculiar  relation  to  God. 

in  thee  I  am  well  pleased :  or,  '  on  thee  I  set  my  favour.' 
A  term  of  grace,  the  equivalent  of  an  O.  T.  phrase  expressing  the 
perfection  of  the  Divine  satisfaction  and  complacency.  Cf.  Isa. 
xlii.  1,  lxii.  4. 

It  is  Jesus  himself,  not  John,  that  is  said  here,  as  also  in  Matthew 
and  Luke,  to  have  seen  the  great  sight  of  the  heavens  rending, 
and  the  Spirit  descending  in  dove-like  form.  From  the  Fourth 
Gospel  (i.  32)  we  learn  that  the  Baptist  also  saw  these  sights. 
There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  they  were  seen  by  others  as 
these  two  saw  them.  So  it  was  to  Jesus  himself  that  the  voice 
was  addressed.  Not  even  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  is  it  said  to  } 
have  been  heard  by  John  or  any  other.  It  was  a  witness  to 
Jesus  himself,  bringing  to  his  human  consciousness  the  assurance  ( 
of  his  relation  to  God.  He  had  at  a  much  earlier  date  the  sense 
that  God  was  his  Father,  and  that  it  belonged  to  him  to  be  con- 
cerned with  his  Father's  business  or  house  (Luke  ii.  49).  This  is 
the  first  of  three  voices  addressed  to  Jesus  at  great  turning-points 
in  his  mission,  the  others  being  at  the  Transfiguration  (Markix.  7) 
and  on  the  occasion  of  the  coming  of  the  Greeks  ( John  xii.  28). 

These  events  took  place  immediately  on  bis  baptism.  One 
thing  is  added  by  Luke,  which  is  of  the  deepest  interest.  He 
is  the  evangelist  who  tarries  most  on  the  prayers  of  our  Lord, 
and  he  tells  us  that  it  was  when  Jesus  was  praying  (iii.  21)  that 
he  saw  the  sights  here  reported.  Solemn  prayer  also  had  its 
place  in  the  choice  of  the  Twelve  (Luke  vi.  12),  the  Transfigura- 
tion (Luke  ix.  29),  and  the  Agony  in  Gethsemane  (Matt.  xxvi.  39). 

12.  And  straightway  the  Spirit  driveth  him  forth.  The 
inauguration  of  Jesus  by  baptism,  the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  and  the 


120  ST.  MARK   1.  13 

13  wilderness.     And  he  was  in   the  wilderness  forty  days 


endorsement  of  the  heavenly  voice,  are  followed  by  the  Temptation. 
This  mysterious  passage  in  the  course  of  discipline  under  which 
the  Son  of  God  put  himself  for  our  sake  is  recorded  with  extreme 
brevity  by  Mark.  To  him  it  is  only  introductory  to  his  proper 
subject — the  public  ministry.  It  is  omitted  by  John.  It  is  given 
at  some  length  by  Matthew  and  Luke,  and  with  some  differences  ; 
of  which  the  most  important  is  in  the  order  of  the  successive 
temptations.  But  if  Mark's  account  is  brief,  it  has  a  character 
of  its  own.  He  alone  gives  the  graphic  touch  about  the  wild 
beasts,  and  it  is  remarkable  how  many  points  he  crowds  into  his 
short  summary — the  date,  the  occasion,  the  impelling  influence, 
the  scene,  the  duration,  the  agent,  the  circumstances  of  terror  and 
of  support. 

The  time  of  the  event  is  given  even  more  precisely  than  by 
Matthew  and  Luke.  By  the  use  of  his  favourite  term  '  straight- 
way '  Mark  indicates  how  close  upon  the  inaugural  glories  came 
the  onset  of  temptation.  The  occasion  is  stated  to  have  been  an 
influence  of  the  Spirit.  God,  who  tempts  no  man  as  He  himself 
cannot  be  tempted  of  evil,  nevertheless  leads  us  at  times  into 
temptation,  and  Christ  is  here  declared  to  have  been  brought 
into  the  strange  and  painful  circumstances  of  temptation  by  the 
same  Spirit  who  had  just  descended  upon  him  with  his  special 
gifts  and  still  abode  with  him.  The  other  evangelists  speak  of 
him  as  being  'led'  (Luke  iv.  1)  or  'led  up'  (Matt.  iv.  1)  by  the 
Spirit.  Mark  selects  a  stronger  word,  '  driveth  forth.'  Looking 
to  such  references  to  the  Spirit  as  those  in  1  Kings  xviii.  12 
(the  Spirit  carrying  Elijah  whither  Obadiah  knew  not),  Ezek. 
viii.  3  (the  Spirit  lifting  the  prophet  up  between  earth  and 
heaven),  Acts  viii.  39  (Philip  caught  away  by  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord),  1  Cor.  xiv.  2  (speaking  mysteries  in  the  Spirit  in  an 
unknown  tongue),  Rev.  i.  10  (John  being  in  the  Spirit  on  the 
Lord's  day),  some  conclude  that  Mark's  words  indicate  that 
Jesus  was  in  a  condition  of  ecstacy  in  which  the  ordinary  move- 
ments of  sense  and  mind  were  in  abeyance,  while  others  take 
them  to  mean  that  he  was  transported  by  a  rapid  translation  from 
one  place  to  another  in  the  way  affirmed  of  certain  prophets  and 
evangelists.  The  former  supposition  is  probable  in  itself,  though 
it  does  not  lie  in  the  words  ;  the  latter  goes  even  further  beyond 
the  scope  of  the  statement.  What  is  meant  is  that  Jesus  was 
impelled  by  a  constraining  influence  which  he  recognized  to  be  of 
the  Spirit — that  he  was  borne  on  not  by  his  own  will,  but  by 
a  Divine  impulse. 

into   the  wilderness.     All  three  Synoptists  give  the  scene 
simply  as  '  the  wilderness,'  without  further  specification.      It  is 


ST.  MARK    1.  13  121 

tempted  of  Satan  ;  and  he  was  with  the  wild  beasts  ;  and 
the  angels  ministered  unto  him. 

natural,  therefore,  to  understand  by  it  just  the  wilderness  already 
spoken  of.  Yet  the  narrative  suggests  a  movement  from  the 
locality  in  which  John  was  baptizing  to  another — to  a  different 
1  desert'  or  to  a  different  part,  a  remoter  and  lonelier  part,  of  the 
same  wilderness  of  Judaea.  The  latter  is  the  more  probable  sup- 
position. Some,  however,  think  the  great  Arabian  desert  is  in  view 
— the  stern  district  east  of  Jordan,  associated  with  the  activities 
and  experiences  of  Moses  and  Elijah.  But  this  is  unlikely,  both 
by  reason  of  the  distance  from  the  scene  of  the  Baptism  and  because 
there  are  no  such  defining  terms  as  we  should  expect  in  such  case. 
Tradition  has  connected  the  scene  with  a  hill  Jcbel  Kuruntul, 
called  Mo  1  is  Ouarantania  (with  reference  to  the  forty  days\  which 
has  been  compared  to  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar,  and  is  described  as 
rising  like  a  '  perpendicular  wall  of  rock,  1,200  or  1,500  feet  above 
the  plain,'  that  is,  the  plain  of  the  Jordan,  somewhat  west  of 
Jericho.  The  district  in  which  this  hill  stands  is  wild  enough  to 
suit  the  circumstances.  But  the  tradition  does  not  seem  to  be 
older  than  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  The  most  that  can  be  said 
is  that  the  place  of  the  Temptation  was  probably  not  far  distant 
from  that  of  the  Baptism,  and  that  it  was  somewhere,  therefore,  on 
the  western  side  of  the  Dead  Sea.  '  Those  denuded  rocks,'  says 
Pressense\  '  that  reddened  soil  scorched  by  a  burning  sun,  that 
sulphurous  sea  stretching  like  a  shroud  over  the  accursed  cities, 
all  this  land  of  death,  mute  and  motionless  as  the  grave,  formed  a 
fitting  scene  for  the  decisive  conflict  for  the  Man  of  Sorrows.' 

13.  And  he  was  in  the  wilderness  forty  days.  Mark's 
words  would  naturally  imply  that  he  was  tempted  all  the  space 
of  time  that  he  spent  in  the  wilderness.  In  this  Mark  agrees  with 
Luke  (iv.  2).  But  Matthew  speaks  of  the  temptations  which  he 
records  as  if  they  came  upon  Jesus  only  at  the  end  of  this  period. 
The  probable  conclusion  is  that  he  was  tempted  all  through  the 
period  of  the  fasting,  and  that  at  its  close,  when  he  was  worn 
and  exhausted,  he  was  met  by  three  special  and  concentrated 
forms  of  temptation.  It  may  be  that  during  the  fast  of  forty  days 
temptation  came  to  him  in  the  form  of  uncertainty  as  to  his  voca- 
tion, doubts  regarding  the  dove-like  form,  and  the  reality  of  the 
heavenly  voice  attesting  his  Sonship. 

tempted  of  Satan.  The  three  evangelists  agree  in  pointing 
to  an  objective  agent  in  the  temptation,  distinct  from  the  tempted 
One's  own  mind.  Matthew  and  Luke  speak  of  this  agent  as  •  the 
devil,'  i.  e.  the  accuser  (cf.  Rev.  xii.  10)  or  slanderer,  also  named 
Abaddon  in  Hebrew,  and  Apollyon  (  =  destroyer)  in  Greek.  Mark 
uses  the  Hebrew  name,  Satan,  the  'adversary'  (Job  ii.  1).     By 


122  ST.  MARK  1.  13 

I  these  names  Scripture  designates  a  personal  spirit  of  evil,  who  is 
represented  as  the  enemy  of  God  and  Christ,  the  prince  of  demons, 
the  author  of  temptation,  working  by  persecution,  deceit,  and 
guile  for  the  estrangement  of  men  from  God.  Much  of  the  popular 
idea  of  the  Tempter  is  due  not  to  Scripture,  but  to  mediaeval  theology, 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost,  and  Dante's  Divine  Comedy.  Yet  much 
is  said  of  him  in  the  Bible,  and  more  by  far  in  the  N.T.  than  in 
the  O.  T. 

and  he  was  with  the  wild  beasts.  Mark  alone  mentions 
this.  Travellers  speak  of  the  number  of  wild  beasts — cheetahs, 
boars,  jackals,  wolves,  hyaenas,  &c,  still  to  be  met  in  the  deserts 
of  the  Holy  Land,  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  convenient 
wadies  (see  Tristram,  Land  of  Israel,  p.  240).  Fanciful  meanings 
have  been  devised  for  this  companionship.  Some  have  suggested 
an  analogy  with  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den  ;  others  have  imagined 
the  statement  to  be  introduced  in  order  to  suggest  a  parallel 
between  Jesus  and  the  First  Adam  in  Paradise.  It  may  be 
intended  to  sharpen  the  picture  of  the  desolateness  of  his  position. 
It  may  simply  be  meant  to  express  the  fact  that  he  suffered  from 
another  danger  besides  Satanic  temptation — that  of  ravenous, 
encompassing  beasts.  It  may  suggest  that  '  their  presence,  their 
yells  of  hunger,  their  ravening  fierceness,  their  wild  glaring  eyes, 
had  left  as  it  were  an  ineffable  and  ineffaceable  impression  of  horror 
in  addition  to  the  terror  and  loneliness  of  the  wilderness  as  such ' 
(Plumptre). 

and  the  angels  ministered  unto  him.  This  is  not  noticed 
by  Luke,  who  tells  us  simply  that  the  devil  '  departed  from  him  for 
a  season  '  (iv.  13).  Matthew  records  that,  when  the  devil  left  him, 
'angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him '  (iv.  11).  According  to  him, 
therefore,  these  ministrations  took  place  at  the  end  of  the  tempta 
tions.  Mark  does  not  say  explicitly  at  what  point  they  came  in. 
But  his  change  in  the  tenses  came  (past)  .  .  .  were  ministering 
(imperfect)  indicates  that  they  were  repeated,  or  that  they  went  on 
during  the  course  of  temptation.  What  form  these  ministrations 
took — whether  that  of  support  for  his  exhausted  physical  nature, 
or  spiritual  help,  or,  as  Meyer  thinks,  protection  against  Satan  and 
the  wild  beasts — is  not  stated.  It  is  possible  that  the  point  of  the 
whole  statement  is  in  the  contrast  with  the  appeal  of  the  Tempter 
to  the  assurance  given  in  the  O.  T.  (Ps.  xci.  11)  of  angelic  care 
and  protection. 

Mark  says  nothing  of  the  fasting  during  the  forty  days,  nor  does 
he  give  the  three  forms  of  temptation  recorded  in  Matthew  and 
Luke.  Neither  does  he  indicate  in  what  the  temptation  consisted. 
It  may  have  had  its  occasion,  as  Keim  suggests,  in  the  weight  of 
reflection  pressing  on  the  mind  of  Jesus  when  he  first  gave  himself 
of  purpose  to  his  Messianic  vocation.  It  lay,  we  may  reverently 
suppose,  in  the  conflict  of  thoughts  regarding  that  vocation,  in  the 


ST.  MARK   1.  14  123 

Now  after  that  John  Avas  delivered  up,  Jesus  came  into  14 
Galilee,  preaching  the  gospel  of  God,  and  saying,  The  15 

competition  between  different  ways  of  accomplishing  it.  In 
Matthew  and  Luke  the  essence  of  each  of  the  three  specific  forms 
of  Satanic  assault  appears  to  be  placed  in  the  inducement  to  get 
to  the  end  of  his  mission  by  a  short  and  secular  course,  by  power 
and  display,  by  the  preference  of  the  ways  of  the  world  and  the 
devil  to  those  of  his  Father. 

i.  14,  15.  Official  preaching  of  Jesus  in  Galilee.  Mark  appears 
to  overleap  a  considerable  space  of  time,  amounting  probably  to 
a  good  many  months,  and  to  omit  a  number  of  events — the  return 
of  the  Baptist,  the  call  of  the  first  disciples,  the  marriage  at  Cana, 
the  visit  to  Capernaum,  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple,  and  others, 
for  the  knowledge  of  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  Fourth  Gospel 
(John  i.  29 — iii.  30).  He  omits  the  early  ministry  in  Judaea,  and 
the  visit  to  Galilee  recorded  in  John  ii,  and  proceeds  at  once  to 
the  visit  to  Galilee  which  was  signalized  by  his  first  public 
preaching.  This  may  be  the  same  as  that  which  took  him  through 
Samaria  as  reported  by  John  (chap.  iv).  The  relation  of  the  events 
recorded  in  the  Gospels  at  this  stage,  however,  is  not  certain. 
But  it  is  clear  that  the  imprisonment  of  the  Baptist  made  a  crisis 
in  events,  according  to  Mark,  and  formed  the  occasion  for  the 
commencement  of  Christ's  public  ministry.  The  work  begun  by 
the  Baptist  could  not  be  suffered  to  come  to  nought. 

14.  Now  after  tnat  John  was  delivered  up  :  that  is,  to  prison. 
The  imprisonment  of  John  receives  only  incidental  mention  in 
the  Fourth  Gospel  (John  iii.  24).  Luke  notices  the  circumstances 
shortly  before  he  reports  the  Temptation  (iii.  19,  20).  Matthew 
and  Mark  report  them  at  greater  length  (Mark  being  fuller  and 
more  graphic  than  Matthew),  but  at  a  later  stage  in  their  narra- 
tives (Matt.  xiv.  3-5  ;  Mark  vi.  17-20). 

Jesus  came  into  Galilee.  Matthew's  word  is  departed 
(A.  V.),  or,  better,  withdrew  (R.  V.),  suggesting  that  he  saw  that 
it  was  no  longer  safe  to  remain  near  the  scene  of  John's  labours. 
In  Galilee  indeed  he  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Herod  Antipas, 
the  man  who  put  the  Baptist  to  death  ;  but  he  was  nearer  the 
territory  of  Herod  Philip,  and  farther  removed  from  the  suspicions 
and  hostilities  of  the  official  classes  in  Jerusalem. 

preaching  the  gospel  of  God.  From  John  iv.  1,  2  we  may 
infer  that  the  earlier  ministry  of  Jesus  had  been  more  like  the 
Baptist's.  Now  he  takes  up  the  definite  work  of  evangelical 
preaching,  and  it  is  to  be  observed  that  all  the  evangelists  repre- 
sent him  as  beginning  his  official  ministry  not  with  miracle,  but 
with  preaching.  The  manner  of  his  preaching  is  not  described  by 
Mark,  but  in  Luke  (iv.  17-21)  we  get  a  vivid  picture  of  it.     Mark 


124  ST.  MARK  1.  15 

time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand  *. 
repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the  gospel. 

gives  us,  however,  a  pregnant  summary  of  its  matter.  His  subject 
was  'the  gospel  of  God'  (not  'the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God' 
as  in  A.  V.),  that  is,  the  good  news  received  from  God.  It  was 
a  message  of  pure  mercy  which  God  commissioned  him  to  declare. 
15.  and  saying-,  The  time  is  fulfilled.  In  putting  these  glad 
tidings  before  men  he  had  a  great  announcement  to  deliver  and  an 
urgent  call  to  make.  The  first  point  in  the  statement  was  that 
4  the  time,'  the  definite  period  which  in  the  purpose  of  God  was  to 
elapse  before  the  entrance  of  the  Messianic  kingdom,  was  now 
completed,  so  that  nothing  in  the  counsel  of  God,  the  training  of 
Israel,  or  the  condition  of  the  nations,  stood  in  the  way  of  that 
great  event.  This  is  stated  neither  by  Matthew  nor  by  Luke. 
It  is  a  link  of  connexion  between  Mark  and  Paul  (Gal.  iv.  4  ; 
Eph.  i.  16). 

and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand.  The  second  point  in 
the  evangelical  announcement.  It  is  given  also  by  Matthew,  but 
is  omitted  by  Luke.  Here  we  meet  one  of  the  characteristic  terms 
of  the  N.  T. — 'the  kingdom,'  '  the  kingdom  of  heaven'  (or  'of  the 
heavens ')  as  usually  in  Matthew  and  as  only  in  him, '  the  kingdom 
of  God'  as  in  Mark  and  Luke  and  Paul,  the  '  heavenly  kingdom' 
(2  Tim.  iv.  18),  'the  kingdom  of  Christ.'  The  idea  of  a  kingdom, 
which  is  thus  described  in  respect  of  its  heavenly  origin  and 
spiritual  character,  has  its  root  in  passages  like  Dan.  ii.  44,  and  in 
the  whole  O.  T.  conception  of  a  Divine  rule,  a  reign  of  Jehovah 
and  His  Messiah,  which  was  to  make  the  blessedness  of  Israel 
and  of  earth.  The  term  expresses  something  different  from  the 
organized  body  called  the  church  visible,  and  even  from  the  church 
invisible.  It  expresses  the  perfected  theocracy,  the  realization 
of  the  prophetic  idea  of  the  rule  of  God  on  earth,  purged  of  the 
political  notions,  the  national  limitations,  and  the  fantastic  mille- 
narian  conceits  with  which  the  O.  T.  note  had  become  encrusted 
in  Judaism. 

repent  ye.  The  first  article  in  the  call  founded  on  the 
announcement.  Jesus  took  up  John's  word  when  the  latter  was 
silenced,  and  began  with  the  note  of  repentance,  though  he  had 
more  to  give. 

and  believe  in  the  gospel.  The  second  article  in  the  call, 
and  one  recorded  only  by  Mark.  The  phrase  'believe  in  the 
gospel '  is  peculiar.  The  '  gospel '  is  to  be  taken  here  in  the 
general  sense.  The  words  mean,  therefore,  '  believe  in  the  good 
news  announcing  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  really  at  hand.'  The 
belief  or  faith  to  which  the  N.  T.  gives  so  essential  a  place  is  usually 
belief  in  a  Person,  trust  in  Christ  himself.  The  '  belief  in  view- 
here  is  the  initial  belief  in  a  testimony,  in  something  said  of  an 


ST.  MARK   1.   t6  125 

And  passing  along  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  saw  Simon  16 

object  or  a  person.  It  was  not  till  a  later  stage  that  Jesus  began 
to  preach  himself  as  the  object  of  faith.  Yet  the  difference  be- 
tween John's  message  and  Christ's  begins  to  open  here.  In  the 
latter  it  is  not  repentance  only,  but  repentance  and  faith.  So 
Paul's  gospel  was  one  in  which  he  taught,  '  testifying  both  to 
Jews  and  to  Greeks,  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ'  (Acts  xx.  21). 

The  land  of  Galilee,  in  which  Jesus  was  now  delivering  his 
message,  and  which  has  so  large  a  place  in  the  Gospel  story,  is 
mentioned  only  six  or  seven  times  in  the  O.  T.  There  it  is 
'  the  Galilee/  i.  e.  the  Circle,  once  more  specifically  the  '  Galilee 
of  the  nations'  (Isa.  ix.  1).  In  it  our  Lord  had  his  home,  to  it 
most  of  his  early  followers  belonged  by  birth  or  by  residence,  and 
with  it  so  many  of  the  most  memorable  scenes  in  the  Gospel  story 
were  connected  that  it  has  been  justly  termed  l  the  birthplace  of 
Christianity.'  In  our  Lord's  time  it  was  the  most  northerly  of  the 
three  provinces  into  which  Palestine  west  of  Jordan  was  divided. 
During  the  entire  course  of  our  Lord's  life  it  was  under  the  juris- 
diction of  Herod  Antipas.  After  his  removal  it  was  placed  under 
the  rule  of  the  Herod  Agrippa  who  is  mentioned  in  Acts  xii.  Its 
area  seems  to  have  varied,  but  it  covered  verj'  much  the  territories 
assigned  to  the  tribes  of  Asher,  Naphtali,  Zebulun  and  Issachar, 
and  it  included  many  notable  towns.  Its  people  were  a  strong 
and  independent  race,  with  marked  characteristics.  It  was  a  land 
of  beautiful  and  diversified  scenery,  a  land  of  hill  and  stream,  of 
lakes  and  forest,  of  meadow  and  pasture,  of  orchard  and  grain 
field.  Josephus  dilates  in  glowing  terms  on  its  fertility.  He 
speaks  of  the  Plain  of  Gennesaret  as  '  that  unparalleled  Garden  of 
God'  {Jewish  War,  III.  iii.  2,  3.  x.  8).  When  he  refers  to  the 
populousness  of  the  province  he  uses  language  that  seems  exagger- 
ated. But  it  is  certain  that  it  was  peopled  more  thickly  than  we 
can  now  well  imagine,  that  it  yielded  vast  quantities  of  oil  and 
wheat  and  barley,  and  that  it  made  great  wealth  by  its  extensive 
fisheries.  '  It  was  to  Roman  Palestine  what  the  manufacturing 
districts  are  to  England,  covered  with  busy  towns,  and  teeming 
villages,  and  thriving  fisheries'  (Maclear). 

i.  16-20.  The  call  of  four  disciples,  Simon  and  Andrew,  James  and 
John.  Compare  the  narratives  in  Matt.  iv.  18-22;  Luke  v.  1-11. 
This  meeting,  though  recorded  at  this  point  by  Mark,  may  not 
have  been  the  first  meeting  between  Jesus  and  these  men.  The 
Fourth  Gospel  (chap.  i.  35-42)  gives  another  account  of  a  call  of 
disciples,  from  which  we  learn  that  Andrew  and  Simon  had  been 
followers  of  the  Baptist,  that  Andrew  met  Jesus  the  day  after 
John's  testimony  to  him  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  that  he  was 
the  means  also  of  bringing  Simon  to  Jesus. 


126  ST.  MARK.   1.  16 

and  Andrew  the  brother  of  Simon  casting  a  net  in  the 

16.  And  passing*  along*  by  the  sea  of  Galilee.  The  scene 
of  the  call  was  by  the  beautiful  sheet  of  water  on  the  shores  of 
which  so  many  of  Christ's  words  were  spoken  and  so  many  of 
his  deeds  done.  Its  O.  T.  name  is  '  the  sea  of  Chinneroth  '  or  '  the 
sea  of  Chinnereth'  (Num.  xxxiv.  n  ;  Joshua  xi.  2 ;  i  Kings 
xv.  20).  In  i  Mace.  (xi.  67)  and  in  Josephus  it  is  Gennesar 
{Jewish  War,  III.  x.  7,  &c. ).  In  the  N.T.  it  has  more  than 
one  form — in  Matthew  and  Mark  'the  sea,'  'the  sea  of  Galilee'; 
in  Luke  usually  'the  lake/  once  'the  lake  of  Gennesaret'  (v.  1); 
in  John  'the  sea  of  Tiberias'  (xxi.  1),  '  the  sea  of  Galilee,  which  is 
the  sea  of  Tiberias '  (vi.  1).  This  last  name  connects  it  specially 
with  the  city  called  Tiberias,  which  was  built  by  Herod  Agrippa 
and  called  after  the  Emperor  Tiberius.  From  Joshua  xix.  35  we 
gather  that  there  was  a  fenced  city  of  the  name  of  Chinnereth, 
in  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  of  which,  however,  no  trace  remains. 
The  name  Gennesaret  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  taken  from 
a  Hebrew  word  meaning  '  harp,'  with  reference  to  the  shape  of 
the  lake.  But  more  probably  it  is  an  original  Canaanitish  word 
adopted  by  the  Hebrews.  The  lake  is  about  12^  miles  long 
and  8  miles  wide  at  its  broadest  part.  It  is  about  150  feet  deep, 
and  lies  (according  to  Sir  Charles  Warren)  some  600  feet  beneath 
the  level  of  the  sea.  The  river  Jordan  enters  it  at  the  north  and 
passes  out  of  it  at  the  south  end.  The  lake  is  of  rare  beauty, 
like  a  smaller  Loch  Lomond  or  Lake  of  Lucerne.  Canon  Tristram 
speaks  of  the  first  view  one  gets  of  it  as  like  that  of  the  Lake  of 
Geneva  from  the  crest  of  the  Jura  range. 

he  saw  Simon  and  Andrew.  To  this  pair  of  brothers, 
sons  of  a  Jonas  (Matt.  xvi.  17)  or  John  (John  i.  42,  xxi.  15-17) 
belonging  to  Bethsaida  (John  i.  44),  but  having  their  home  then 
in  Capernaum  (Mark  i.  29),  Christ's  call  came  first.  They  had 
no  doubt  been  so  far  prepared  for  it  by  their  connexion  with  the 
Baptist,  probably  also  by  previous  intercourse  with  Jesus,  and 
by  their  religious  disposition.  Can  we  doubt  that  they  were  of 
the  select  class  of  devout  and  expectant  Israelites  who  looked 
in  faith  and  wistfulness  for  the  fulfilment  of  O.  T.  promise  and 
prophecy  ?  '  Simon '  is  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew  name, 
which  is  also  given  more  literally  as  'Symeon'  (Acts  xv.  14; 
2  Pet.  i.  1,  R.  V.  margin).  In  the  synoptical  Gospels  it  is  the 
name  usually  given  to  this  disciple  on  to  the  time  of  the  choosing 
of  the  Apostles,  when  it  is  superseded  by  'Peter.'  'Andrew'  is 
a  Greek  name,  but  one  used  also  by  Hebrews. 

casting*  a  net  in  the  sea:  for  they  were  fishers.  The 
phrase  as  it  is  put  by  Mark  is  simply  '  casting  about ' — a  simple 
and  forcible  description  of  what  they  were  doing  at  the  time. 
The  hand-net  is  in  view  here,  as  distinguished  from  the  '  draw-net' 


ST.  MARK  1.  17-20  127 

sea:  for  they  were  fishers.     And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  17 
Come   ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become 
fishers  of  men.     And  straightway  they  left  the  nets,  and  18 
followed  him.      And  going  on  a  little  further,  he  saw  19 
James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother,  who 
also  were  in  the  boat  mending  the  nets.     And  straight-  20 

or  'drag-net/  which  was  used  for  fish  swimming  in  shoals  (Matt. 
xxii.  47)  and  was  trailed  along  the  bottom  of  the  deep.  The 
*  hand-net '  was  used  in  the  way  of  throwing  it  about,  dipping 
it  down,  now  here  and  now  there,  on  one  side  of  the  boat  and 
on  the  other.  These  men  were  called  then  just  as  they  were 
engaged  in  their  ordinary,  lawful  employments. 

17.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Come  ye  after  me.  The 
phrase,  '  Hither  after  me,'  expresses  a  call  to  become  followers 
in  the  sense  of  disciples. 

and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men.  They 
were  summoned  to  a  new  kind  of  work — analogous  to  their 
present  work,  but  of  a  higher  order.  For  this  higher  service 
the  experience  which  they  had  of  the  fisherman's  work  no  doubt 
was  also  in  some  measure  a  preparation — in  respect  of  the 
qualities  of  patience,  alertness,  activity,  watchfulness,  keenness 
of  eye,  promptitude  in  seizing  the  occasion. 

18.  And  straightway.  Their  response  was  instant  and  complete. 
There  was  that  in  the  call  and  in  the  caller  himself  that  checked 
all  questioning  and  won  unhesitating  obedience. 

they  left  the  nets,  and  followed  him.  '  Left '  is  better 
than  the  '  forsook '  of  the  A.  V.  The  effect  of  the  call  was  such 
that  they  left  the  nets  just  as  they  were,  without  giving  them 
a  thought,  and  went  straight  to  him. 

19.  And  going*  on  a  little  further:  or,  'going  forward 
a  little.' 

he  saw  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother. 
A  second  pair  of  brothers  for  the  second  call.  In  the  synoptical 
Gospels,  where  these  two  are  named  together,  James  (the  Jacob 
of  the  O.  T.)  is  named  first  (except  in  Luke  ix.  1,  where  there 
is  a  special  reason  for  the  change) — an  order  which,  particularly 
when  coupled  with  the  explanation  that  John  was  'his  brother,' 
suggests  that  James  was  the  elder  brother  or  the  more  important 
person. 

who  also  were  in  the  boat:  that  is,  in  their  own  boat. 
'  Boat '  is  better  than  the  S  ship '  of  the  A.  V.  The  call  came  to 
them  just  a  little  after  it  was  addressed  to  Simon  and  Andrew  ; 
and  it  reached  them,  too.  just  as  they  were  busy  with  their 
ordinary  work. 


128  ST.  MARK   1.  21 

way  he  called  them :  and  they  left  their  father  Zebedee 
in   the   boat  with   the  hired  servants,  and  went   after 
him. 
2 1      And  they  go  into  Capernaum ;    and  straightway  on 


mending"  the  nets.  Not  actually  fishing  as  was  the  case 
with  the  other  two,  but  making  the  nets  all  right  for  the  work. 

20.  And  straightway  lie  called  them.  No  pause  was  given 
them  to  think  what  Simon  and  Andrew  were  doing,  and  there 
was  no  delay  on  their  part. 

and  they  left  their  father  Zebedee  in  the  boat.  In  their 
case  the  obedience,  therefore,  was,  if  possible,  even  more  striking. 
Their  father  was  with  them  (no  mention  is  made  of  Salome,  the 
mother),  but  they  left  work,  property,  and  parent. 

with  the  hired  servants,  and  went  after  him.  It  is  pre- 
carious to  infer,  from  the  mention  of  '  hired  servants '  in  this  case, 
that  there  was  any  difference  in  social  position  between  the  two 
pairs  of  brothers.  But  it  implies  that  Zebedee  did  not  belong  to 
the  wholly  poor. 

i.  21-28.  Jesus  in  the  Synagogue.  With  this  paragraph  compare 
the  account  in  Luke  iv.  31-37.  We  have  here  Mark's  statement 
of  the  first  impression  made  by  Christ's  teaching,  his  first  refer- 
ence to  the  scribes,  and  his  first  report  of  a  miracle. 

21.  And  they  go.  Better  than  'they  went'  of  the  A.  V.  The 
original  pictures  Jesus  and  his  newly-found  disciples  making 
their  way  at  once  from  the  scene  of  his  call  and  of  their  former 
work.  Matthew  (iv.  12)  tells  us  that  on  leaving  Nazareth  Jesus 
came  and  dwelt  in  Capernaum,  and  Luke  that  he  came  down  to 
Capernaum  after  the  Sabbath  on  which  he  expounded  Isaiah  in 
the  synagogue  at  Nazareth.  Mark  connects  the  visit  to  Capernaum 
with  the  call  by  the  sea.  But  this  does  not  necessarily  mean 
that  there  had  been  no  previous  visit. 

into  Capernaum.  From  Mark  i.  29 ;  John  i.  44  it  appears 
that  this  was  Simon  and  Andrew's  present  place  of  abode.  It 
was  natural  for  them,  therefore,  to  go  there.  But  this  was  to 
go  where  two  of  them  at  least,  and  probably  all  four,  would  be 
among  those  who  knew  them  best,  and  where  the  change  that 
had  occurred  with  them  would  at  once  attract  notice.  Capernaum, 
in  its  more  proper  form  Capharnaum,  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
O.  T.  It  came  to  be  spoken  of  as  Christ's  'own  city*  by  reason 
of  the  close  connexion  he  had  with  it  during  his  ministry.  He 
predicted  its  total  overthrow  on  account  of  its  unbelief  (Matt. 
xi.  23).  So  completely  was  it  '  brought  to  the  dust '  that  after 
the  investigations  of  many  years  and  many  hands  its  very  site 


ST.   MARK    1.   32  129 

the   sabbath   day  he  entered   into  the   synagogue   and 
taught.      And    they   were   astonished   at    his    teaching:  22 
for  he  taught  them  as  having  authority,  and  not  as  the 

remains  still  uncertain.  Some  place  it  at  Tell  Hum,  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  lake,  some  three  miles  south  of  the  point 
where  the  Jordan  enters.  Remains  of  a  city  of  some  importance 
are  found  there.  Others  locate  it  at  Khan  Minyeh,  some  three 
miles  south  of  Tell  Hum,  near  the  sea  and  not  far  from  where 
the  great  Damascus  road  passed ;  others  still  put  it  further  to 
the  west  and  south,  near  the  fountain  Mudawarah  or  Mudawerah, 
where  (and  indeed  only  there)  are  found  remains  of  the  coracine 
or  cat-fish,  of  which  Josephus  says  it  '  was  produced  in  the 
fountain  called  Capharnaum  which  waters  the  plain  of  Gennesar.' 

and  straightway  on  the  sabbath  day.  This  is  the  first 
sabbath  after  the  call  and  the  first  exercise  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus 
after  it. 

be  entered  into  the  synagogue :  he  made  his  way  at  once 
to  the  synagogue.  It  was  the  natural  place  to  turn  to.  It  gave 
the  opportunity  of  speaking  to  the  people  in  a  simple  and 
recognized  way.  The  chief  purpose  of  the  synagogue  was 
instruction  in  the  law,  and  this  was  not  left  in  the  hands  of 
officials  only.  Freedom  of  speech,  under  certain  reasonable 
conditions,  was  allowed,  and  any  one,  especially  a  rabbi,  might 
be  called  on  by  the  '  ruler  of  the  synagogue '  to  expound.  As 
an  institution  it  belongs  probably  to  the  period  of  the  Exile. 
It  fulfilled  certain  objects  which  were  not  otherwise  provided 
for.  It  acted  as  a  '  counterpoise  to  the  absolute  officialism  of  the 
sacerdotal  service '  (Morrison ).  Its  services  were  very  different  from 
those  of  the  Temple,  consisting  of  prayer,  the  reading  of  the  O.  T., 
and  exposition.  Mark  speaks  of  '  the  synagogue'  (so  also  Luke 
vii.  5),  either  because  it  was  the  only  one  (and  Capernaum  though 
large  enough  to  be  called  a  city,  might  yet  not  be  very  large),  or 
because  it  was  the  one  specially  associated  with  Jesus.  Luke 
(vii.  5)  tells  us  that  the  centurion  whose  servant  Jesus  was  asked 
to  heal  built  a  synagogue  which  the  Jews  of  Capernaum  speak 
of  as  'our  synagogue.'  Much  of  our  Lord's  early  work  took  the 
form  of  synagogue-teaching.  Mark  makes  no  mention  of  such 
teaching  after  the  occasion  when  those  in  *  his  own  country'  took 
offence  at  the  wisdom  of  his  teaching  in  the  synagogue  (vi.  1-6). 

22.  And  tbey  were  astonished.     A  strong  word  expressing 
an  amazement  that  carried  them  out  of  themselves. 

at  his  teaching-.  A  better  rendering  than  'doctrine,'  the 
thing  in  view  being  the  manner  rather  than  the  matter  of  his 
exposition. 

for  he  taught  them   as  having  authority.     What  amazed 

K 


i3o  ST.  MARK   1.   23,  24 

23  scribes.     And  straightway  there  was  in  their  synagogue 

24  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit ;  and  he  cried  out,  saying. 
What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth? 

them  was  not  so  much  the  things  said  as  the  way  in  which  they 
were  said.  Their  professional  teachers,  when  they  opened  up  the 
Law  or  the  Prophets,  spoke  as  those  do  who  have  no  clear  fountain 
of  knowledge  in  themselves  and  no  inward  witness  to  the  truth 
of  what  they  asserted.  They  spoke  with  frequent  appeal  to 
external  authority,  to  the  words  of  some  great  rabbi,  to  tradition, 
dogmatically  but  not  convincingly.  But  Christ  spoke  with  the  tone 
of  certitude,  with  the  note  of  an  inherent  authority,  as  one  who 
had  knowledge  in  himself  and  a  message  direct  from  God.  His 
words  left  the  hearers  in  no  doubt,  and  made  themselves  felt 
at  once  as  true.     This  was  a  new  thing  indeed  to  these  Jews. 

and  not  as  the  scribes :  the  '  scribes,'  called  also  •  lawyers,' 
1 doctors  of  the  law'  (Luke  v.  17),  were  the  powerful  body  to 
whom  the  Jews  looked  up  as  their  recognized  teachers,  and  with 
whom  our  Lord  consequently  came  into  constant  and  deadly 
conflict.  They  were  the  class  who  had  built  up,  and  who  also 
continued  to  expound  and  apply,  that  vast  system  of  traditional 
law  which  Jesus  said  •  made  void '  the  word  of  God,  and  which 
gave  to  the  external  and  mechanical  the  place  which  belonged 
to  the  spiritual.  No  doubt  there  were  different  kinds  of  scribes. 
Among  them  there  may  have  been  men  with  better  insight  into 
religion  and  the  Divine  law.  But  as  a  class  they  had  become 
in  Christ's  time  pedantic,  hair-splitting,  dictatorial. 

23.  And  straightway  there  was  in  their  synagogue  a  man 
with  an  unclean  spirit.  Mark  proceeds  to  relate  the  mighty 
work  done  in  the  place,  and  it  is  perhaps  on  account  of  this  work 
that  he  introduces  what  he  says  of  the  teaching  in  the  synagogue. 
A  representative  place  is  given  by  Mark  to  the  healing  of  the 
possessed.  Luke  describes  this  man  as  having  'a  spirit  of  an 
unclean  devil.'  Mark  speaks  of  him  as  being  *  in  (so  the  word 
literally  is)  an  unclean  spirit ' — a  phrase  recalling  those  terms  of 
grace  'in  Christ,'  'in  the  Spirit,'  'in  the  Holy  Ghost.'  But  the 
demon  is  also  spoken  of  as  in  the  man,  and  as  coming  out  of  him. 
The  words  express  the  completeness  of  the  hold  which  the  malady 
had  of  its  victim.  It  was  as  if  man  and  demon  had  become  one, 
the  one  absorbed  in  the  other.  In  the  N.  T.  '  unclean  spirit'  and 
*  demon  '  are  interchangeable  terms. 

and  he  cried  out,  saying,  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee, 
thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  The  spirit  is  represented  as  sensible 
at  once  of  the  incongruity  of  Christ's  presence.  What  is  there, 
he  asks,  in  common  to  us  and  thee,  so  that  thou  shouldst  come  here 
and  have  aught  to  do  with  us  ? 


ST.  MARK   1.  25-27  131 

art  thou  come  to  destroy  us?     I  know  thee  who  thou 
art,  the  Holy  One  of  God.     And  Jesus  rebuked  him,  25 
saying,  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come  out  of  him.      And  26 
the  unclean  spirit,  tearing  him  and  crying  with  a  loud 
voice,  came  out  of  him.     And  they  were  all  amazed,  27 
insomuch  that  they  questioned  among  themselves,  say- 
ing, What  is  this  ?   a  new  teaching !   with  authority  he 

art  thou  come  to  destroy  us?  The  sense  of  incongruity 
is  also  the  sense  of  hostility ;  to  '  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil ' 
was  the  purpose  of  the  sending  of  Messiah  (1  John  iii.  8). 

I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Once 
again,  and  only  once  again,  is  this  particular  title  given  to  Jesus 
in  the  N.  T.,  viz.  in  John  vi.  69  (according  to  the  best  text  and  the 
R.  V.).  But  cf.  also  1  John  ii.  20;  Rev.  iii.  7,  and  in  the  O.T. 
such  a  passage  as  Ps.  cvi.  16  (of  Aaron \  Here  it  may  have  the 
force  of  a  Messianic  title.  It  does  not  appear  that  Jesus  had  as  yet 
either  done  or  said  aught  affecting  the  case  or  disturbing  the  spirit. 
His  presence  is  enough  ;  it  is  at  once  recognized  to  be  a  power 
inimical,  before  which  evil  can  have  no  place.  The  term  '  holy ' 
here  probably  expresses  not  precisely  his  absolute  personal  sinless- 
ness,  but  the  broader  idea  of  one  who  is  consecrated  wholly  to  God. 

25.  And  Jesus  rebuked  him.  The  word  is  translated 'threatened' 
by  Wycliffe,  following  the  Vulgate.  In  the  N.  T.  it  occurs  only  in 
the  Synoptists  (with  the  exception  of  2  Tim.  v.  2 ;  Jude  9),  and 
has  the  sense  of  chiding,  rating,  charging  sharply. 

saying1,  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come  out  of  him.  The  word 
rendered  '  hold  thy  peace '  means  literally  '  be  muzzled,'  as  it 
is  used  in  1  Cor.  ix.  9  ;  1  Tim.  v.  18.  It  is  a  strong  figure  of 
enforced  silence.  The  rebuke  is  directed  against  two  things — the 
outcry  (with  all  that  it  meant)  and  'the  invasion  of  the  man's 
spirit  by  an  alien  power  '  (Swete,\ 

26.  And  the  unclean  spirit,  tearing-  him  and  crying'  with 
a  loud  voiee,  came  out  of  him.  The  charge  was  instantly  obeyed, 
yet  not  without  hurt.  The  spirit  tore,  or  rather  convulsed  the 
sufferer.  The  word  means  to  tear  in  a  literal  sense,  to  lacerate, 
but  also  to  throw  into  convulsions. 

27.  And  they  were  all  amazed.  The  effect  on  the  people  is 
expressed  here  by  a  verb  which  is  used  in  the  N.  T.  only  by  Mark, 
and  which  conveys  the  idea  of  astonishment  passing  into  awe. 

insomuch  that  they  questioned  among  themselves.  They 
could  not  take  the  matter  in,  but  turned  to  each  other  with  per- 
plexed and  agitated  words. 

saying,   What   is   this?     a  new  teaching!     A  picture  of 

K    2 


132  ST.  MARK   1.  28,  29 

commandeth  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they  obey 

28  him.      And    the   report   of    him    went   out   straightway 
everywhere  into  all  the  region  of  Galilee  round  about. 

29  And  straightway,  when  they  were  come  out  of  the 
synagogue,   they  came   into   the   house  of  Simon   and 

amazement  breaking  into  excited  exclamation — far  better  given  by 
the  R.  V.  than  by  the  A.  V.  It  is  the  unwonted  style  of  teaching 
that  first  astonishes  them. 

with  authority  he  commandeth  even  the  unclean  spirits. 
But  they  have  a  second  reason  for  their  amazement — the  authority 
of  his  word.  This,  too,  was  something  new.  The  practice  of  the 
exorcist  was  not  unknown  among  the  Jews  of  these  times  (cf. 
Acts  xix.  13).  But  he  worked  painfully  by  magical  incantations 
or  laboured  formulae.  Here  was  one  who  used  no  such  arts,  but 
simply  spoke,  and  it  was  done. 

and  they  obey  him.  '  Yes,  and  they  obey  him  ! '  Here  was 
the  wonder — the  instant  response. 

28.  into  all  the  region  of  Galilee.  The  fame  of  this  great 
work  spread  like  wildfire  far  beyond  the  immediate  scene.  How 
far  ?  The  words  may  mean  either  '  into  all  the  surrounding  district 
of  Galilee'  (Wycliffe,  the  Vulgate,  &c),  or  'into  all  the  country 
bordering  on  Galilee'  (Tyndale,  Meyer,  &c).  The  latter  is  more 
in  accordance  with  usage  and  also  with  Matthew's  statement  that 
'  the  report  of  him  went  forth  into  all  Syria '  (iv.  24).  Luke  gives 
*  into  every  place  of  the  region  round  about '  (iv.  37). 

The  problem  presented  by  cases  like  this  of  the  man  in  the 
synagogue  is  yet  unsolved.  Lunacy  and  epilepsy  were  common 
diseases  in  the  East,  and  the  phenomena  described  here  and  in 
similar  instances  resemble  those  exhibited  by  known  diseases 
of  a  mental  or  physical  kind.  Hence  it  is  argued  that  what  we 
have  here  is  simply  an  example  of  the  Eastern  way  of  attributing 
abnormal  experiences  and  extraordinary  disorders  to  supernatural 
causes,  and  that  nothing  more  is  meant  than  what  we  should  call 
fits  of  epilepsy  or  onsets  of  fierce  lunacy.  Modern  inquiry, 
however,  tends  to  see  greater  mysteries  than  before  in  certain 
forms  of  psychical  ailment,  and  in  some  of  the  cases  recorded  in 
the  gospels  there  is  the  peculiar  feature  of  the  recognition  of  Jesus 
as  the  Messiah. 

i.  29-31.  The  healing  of  Peter  s  mother-in-law,  cf.  Matt.  viii.  14, 
15  ;  Luke  iv.  38,  39. 

29.  And  straightway.  Miracle  follows  upon  miracle,  without 
pause  and  without  the  loss  of  any  opportunity. 

the  house  of  Simon  and  Andrew.     From  the  synagogue  the 


ST.  MARK   1.  30-32  133 

Andrew,  with  James  and   John.      Now  Simon's  wife's  30 
mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever;    and  straightway  they  tell 
him  of  her  :  and  he  came  and  took  her  by  the  hand,  31 
and  raised   her  up ;    and   the  fever   left  her,  and   she 
ministered  unto  them. 

And  at  even,  when  the  sun  did  set,  they  brought  unto  32 
him  all  that  were  sick,  and  them  that  were  possessed 

company  returned  to  the  house  from  which  they  had  gone  forth. 
Matthew  and  Luke  speak  of  it  as  the  house  only  of  Simon  or  Peter. 
Mark  calls  it  ■  the  house  of  Simon  and  Andrew.'  As  Simon  was 
a  married  man,  the  house  may  have  been  his,  while  his  brother 
dwelt  with  him.  With  these  are  named  also  James  and  John,  so 
that  there  were  four  witnesses  of  the  scene. 

30.  Now  Simon's  wife's  mother.  The  first  of  the  miracles, 
therefore,  that  followed  the  great  representative  deed  in  the 
synagogue  was  one  wrought  on  a  sufferer  closely  connected  with 
one  of  the  first  disciples. 

lay  sick  of  a  fever.  She  was  prostrate  with  this  ailment  when 
they  returned.  Luke  gives  a  more  professional  description  of  it — 
'  holden  with  a  great  fever'  (R.  V.).  Malarial  fever,  travellers 
tell  us,  is  rife  even  in  the  present  day  in  the  plain  in  which 
Capernaum  was  situated. 

and  straightway  they  tell  him  of  her.  They  had  waited 
for  his  return,  it  seems,  and  at  once  appeal  to  him  when  he 
appears. 

31.  and  he  came  and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  raised  her 
up :  so  prompt  was  his  response,  and  so  simple  his  act. 

and  the  fever  left  her,  and  she  ministered  unto  them. 
The  cure  was  complete.  There  was  nothing  of  the  lassitude  and 
incapacity  of  ordinary  convalescence.  The  patient  was  able  at 
once  to  go  about  her  ordinary  domestic  duties.  She  spread  her  board, 
probably  the  usual  sabbath  meal,  and  the  company  partook.  We 
read  of  her  as  at  a  later  period  accompanying  Peter  on  his  apostolic 
journeys  (i  Cor.  ix.  5). 

i.  32-34.  A  cluster  of  miracles  of  healing  ;  cf.  Matt.  viii.  16,  17; 
Luke  iv.  40,  41. 

32.  And  at  even,  when  the  sun  did  set.  The  people  have  been 
keeping  themselves  in  check  till  all  risk  of  infringing  the  sabbath 
law  is  past.  The  setting  sun  makes  them  certain  that  the  sabbath 
is  ended.  Throwing  off  all  restraint  they  now  crowd  about  him 
with  their  sick  of  many  kinds. 

and  them  that  were  possessed  with  devils.  Rather  '  with 
demons.'     The  word  'demon'   represents  the   Greek   daimon — 


134  ST.  MARK   1.  33-35 

33  with  devils.     And  all  the  city  was  gathered  together  at 

34  the  door.  And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  with 
divers  diseases,  and  cast  out  many  devils;  and  he 
suffered  not  the  devils  to  speak,  because  they  knew  him. 

35  And  in  the  morning,  a  great  while  before  day,  he  rose 
up  and  went  out,  and  departed  into  a  desert  place,  and 

a  term  with  an  interesting  history.  In  the  Homeric  poems  it 
usually  means  a  god.  Very  early,  however,  a  distinction  was 
drawn  between  gods  and  demons,  the  latter  being  understood  (as 
in  the  poems  of  Hesiod)  to  be  beings  between  gods  and  men, 
'  invisible  tenants  of  earth,'  the  souls  of  men  of  the  happy  golden 
age.  Other  Greek  writers  applied  the  term  to  the  ghosts  of  the 
men  of  the  silver  age — a  race  contemptuous  of  the  gods.  Thus  it 
came  to  have  a  sinister  meaning.  It  was  when  it  had  this  idea  of 
an  evil  being  contrasting  with  the  gods  that  it  was  taken  over  by 
the  Greek-speaking  Jews.  So  in  the  N.  T.,  in  the  diminutive  form 
daimonion,  it  means  in  most  cases  an  evil  spirit,  the  agent  of  the 
devil. 

33.  And  all  the  city  was  gathered  tog-ether  at  the  door.  A 
picture  of '  the  flocking  up  to  the  door  which  preceded,  and  the 
surging,  moving  mass  before  it '  (Swete). 

34.  And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  with  divers  diseases, 
and  cast  out  many  devils  (demons).  As  Mark  puts  it,  he  healed 
many  of  both  classes  of  sufferers.  Matthew  (and  Luke  also  in 
effect)  speaks  of  all  the  sick  and  many  of  the  possessed.  The 
idea  probably  is  that  he  patiently  healed  all  who  were  brought  to 
him  of  whatever  class. 

and  he  suffered  not  the  devils  (demons')  to  speak,  because 
they  knew  him.  Some  of  the  best  manuscripts  add  l  to  be  the 
Christ ' ;  cf.  Luke  iv.  41.  The  Evangelist  sees  the  supernatural, 
therefore,  in  the  case.  It  is  the  recognition  of  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus,  not  necessarily  of  more.  Jesus  put  the  ban  upon  their 
utterance.  He  would  not  have  his  cause  hastened  or  influenced 
by  such  testimony. 

i.  35-39.  Retirement,  followed  by  his  first  circuit  in  Galilee;  cf. 
Luke  iv.  40-42,  also  Matt.  iv.  23-25.  The  healer  who  had  met 
the  appeals  of  multitudes  is  himself  seen  now  in  the  attitude  of 
a  suppliant.  In  solitary  communion  with  his  Father  he  seeks 
what  he  needs  after  the  exertions  and  excitement  of  the  first  two 
days  of  his  ministry. 

35.  And  in  the  morning,  a  great  while  before  day.  So  early 
that  it  was  yet  quite  dark. 

into  a  desert  place.     Not  merely  a  solitary  place  (A.  V.), 


ST.  MARK  1.  36-39  135 

there  prayed.  And  Simon  and  they  that  were  with  him  36 
followed  after  him  ;  and  they  found  him,  and  say  unto  37 
him,  All  are  seeking  thee.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  3S 
Let  us  go  elsewhere  into  the  next  towns,  that  I  may 
preach  there  also ;  for  to  this  end  came  I  forth.  And  39 
he  went  into  their  synagogues  throughout  all  Galilee, 
preaching  and  casting  out  devils. 

but  a  desert  place,  '  probably  one  of  those  bare  and  barren  spots 
stretching  away  north  and  west  of  Capernaum '  (Morrison). 

and  there  prayed.  This  was  the  reason  of  his  withdrawal, 
and  no  doubt  also  of  his  choice  of  such  a  place.  He  required  rest 
for  his  soul,  opportunity  for  reflection  on  his  mission,  preparation 
for  the  work  now  before  him,  which  might  be  next  day  and  the 
next  as  it  had  been  these  two  days. 

36.  And  Simon  and  they  that  were  with  him  followed  after 
him.  They  were  filled  with  anxiety  when  they  found  him  gone 
they  knew  not  whither.  Could  he  have  left  them  for  others,  or 
have  preferred  some  other  place  as  the  scene  of  his  ministry  ? 
They  shewed  their  anxiety  by  the  haste  with  which  they  followed 
after  him.     The  word  is  a  strong  one — '  they  pursued  after  him.' 

37.  and  say  unto  him,  All  are  seeking  thee.  The  anxiety 
was  not  confined  to  the  disciples.  It  was  shared  by  all  who  were 
on  the  spot  from  Capernaum  or  elsewhere.  Luke  says  explicitly 
that  '  the  people,'  the  mob,  sought  him.  If  he  left  them  it  was 
not  that  they  did  not  need  him  or  that  he  had  no  opportunity 
among  them. 

38.  Let  ns  go  elsewhere.  In  his  reply  to  their  appeal  and  ex- 
postulation he  says  nothing  of  his  own  need  of  rest  or  communion 
with  God.  He  speaks  only  of  his  mission,  and  of  that  as  one  not 
limited  to  one  place,  even  were  it  Capernaum. 

into  the  next  towns:  lit.  'village-towns,'  probably  small 
country  towns,  whether  walled  or  not,  intermediate  between  villages 
and  cities.  Josephus  speaks  of  the  thickly  planted  towns  and 
the  multitude  of  populous  villages  in  Galilee  (Jewish  lVar,lll  iii.2) 

came  I  forth.  This  wider  preaching,  he  says,  was  the 
object  of  his  coming  forth.  This  may  refer  simply  to  his  having 
left  Capernaum  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  Interpreted,  however, 
in  the  light  of  John's  use  of  the  term  (c£  viii.  42,  xiii.  3),  it  will 
point  rather  to  his  mission  from  the  Father. 

39.  And  he  went  into  their  synagogues  .  .  ,  casting  out 
devils  ^demons).  His  words  had  their  effect  on  Simon  and  the 
others.  Thus  did  he  begin  his  first  circuit  of  Galilee,  still  making  his 
ministry,  however,  a  synagogue  ministry. 


136  ST.  MARK   1.  40,  41 

40  And  there  cometh  to  him  a  leper,  beseeching  him, 
and  kneeling  down  to  him,  and  saying  unto  him,   If 

41  thou   wilt,    thou   canst    make   me   clean.      And    being 

i.  40-45.  The  case  of  a  leper.  Cf.  Matt.  viii.  2-4  ;  Luke  v.  12-16. 
Leprosy  appears  to  have  been  a  somewhat  common  disease  among 
the  Jews  (Luke  iv.  27).  In  the  O.  T.  it  is  mentioned  first  in  con- 
nexion with  the  signs  by  which  Moses  was  to  establish  his  Divine 
commission  (Exod.  iv.  6) ;  then  in  the  cases  of  Miriam,  Naaman, 
Gehazi,  Uzziah,  the  lepers  of  Samaria  (2  Kings  vii.  3),  and 
others.  It  was  the  subject  of  minute  regulations  in  the  Levitical 
law  (Lev.  xiii),  in  -which  perhaps  seven  distinct  varieties  of  the 
disease  are  recognized.  In  the  N.  T.  three  cases  are  reported — 
the  man  healed  here  by  the  touch  and  will  of  Jesus,  the  ten  lepers 
at  the  village  (Luke  xviii.  12),  and  Simon  the  leper  (Matt.  xxvi.  7  ; 
Mark  xiv.  3).  These,  however,  are  only  selected  instances ;  cf. 
Matt.  x.  8,  xi.  5  ;  Luke  vii.  22.  What  this  leprosy  exactly  was, 
however,  is  difficult  to  determine.  The  disposition  is  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  leprosy  of  which  we  read  in  the  Bible  and 
the  disease  known  by  the  same  name  in  ancient  and  also  in 
modern  times.  The  latter,  which  at  least  in  one  of  its  forms  may 
be  identified  with  elephantiasis,  is  one  of  the  most  terrible  maladies 
of  which  flesh  is  heir — a  very  old  disease,  known  in  India  at  least 
as  far  back  as  1400  B.C.,  and  in  Egypt  since  1550  B.C.,  which  got 
into  England  before  the  times  of  the  Crusades  and  lingers  still  in 
considerable  parts  of  Europe  as  well  as  in  the  far  East.  The 
former  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  skin-disease  sufficiently  loathsome 
but  less  terrible  than  the  other.  The  name  leprosy  may  have  been 
given,  as  appears  probable,  to  a  whole  class  of  diseases  with 
which  uncleanness  was  associated.  So  its  removal  is  described 
in  the  N.  T.  as  a  cleansing.  The  ailment  in  view  in  most,  if  not 
all,  of  the  biblical  passages,  may  perhaps  have  been  a  skin-disease 
known  as  psoriasis,  which  was  offensive  and  distressing,  but  not 
by  any  means  incurable. 

40.  And  there  cometh  to  him  a  leper.  This  case  is  selected 
for  record  either  because  it  was  the  first  of  its  class,  or  because  of 
the  impression  it  made  and  the  change  it  occasioned  in  our  Lord's 
method  (cf.  i.  45).  Luke  brings  it  in  after  the  Draught  of  Fishes, 
Matthew  after  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Luke  speaks  of  the 
man  as  '  full  of  leprosy  * — one  in  whom  the  disease  reigned  from 
head  to  foot. 

beseeching  him,  and  kneeling"  down  to  him.  Matthew  tells 
us  that  he  '  worshipped  him  '  ;  Luke  that  he  '  fell  on  his  face.' 
Neither  Matthew  nor  Mark  mentions  whence  he  came.  Luke  says 
'  out  of  one  of  the  cities.'  The  man's  faith  in  the  power  of  Jesus 
is  the  notable  thing. 

If  thou  wilt.     He  had  no  doubt  of  his  ability.     He  was  not 


ST.  MARK   1.  4:1-44  137 

moved  with  compassion,  he  stretched  forth  his  hand, 
and  touched  him,  and  saith  unto  him,  I  will ;  be  thou 
made  clean.     And  straightway  the  leprosy  departed  from  42 
him,  and  he  was  made  clean.     And  he  strictly  charged  43 
him,  and  straightway  sent  him  out,  and  saith  unto  him,  44 
See  thou  say  nothing  to  any  man  :  but  go  thy  way,  shew 
thyself  to  the   priest,  and  offer   for  thy  cleansing  the 
things  which  Moses  commanded,  for  a  testimony  unto 


so  sure  that  it  came  within  the  range  of  his  purpose  or  mission  to 
concern  himself  with  the  outcast  class  of  lepers.  His  doubt  was 
speedily  and  mercifully  removed. 

41.  moved  with  compassion.  Leprosy  provoked  feelings  of 
repulsion,  not  of  sympathy.  The  man  had  come  near,  in  spite 
of  the  Levitical  restrictions,  near  enough  to  be  reached  ;  and 
Jesus,  disregarding  the  physical  loathsomeness  and  the  ceremo- 
nial uncleanness,  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  touched  him. 
The  touch  was  what  was  needed  to  assure  the  man  in  his  great 
faith.  Jesus,  therefore,  first  touched  him  and  then  spoke  the 
healing  word.  And  the  result  was  the  instantaneous  departure 
of  the  leprosy. 

43,  44.  strictly  charged  him.  The  expression  is  a  very 
strong  and  picturesque  one,  used  of  the  \  muttering  of  chafed  and 
fretted  animals,'  and  conveying  here  a  certain  note  of  severity. 

and  straightway  sent  him  out,  and  saith  unto  him,  See 
thou  say  nothing  to  any  man.  Why  this  immediate  dismissal, 
with  so  strong  an  injunction  to  silence  ?  Because,  if  the  man  were 
demonstrative,  he  might  be  the  occasion  of  creating  a  dangerous 
popular  enthusiasm  among  the  people,  and  of  increasing  the  kind 
of  fame  which  Jesus  saw  himself  to  be  acquiring — a  fame  which 
had  more  regard  to  the  physical  side  of  his  work  than  to  the 
spiritual,  and  which  might  prejudice  his  proper  course. 

shew  thyself  to  the  priest.  The  cure  was  not  perfectly 
complete  till  the  ceremonial  disability  and  the  social  ban  were 
removed.  This  was  done  by  the  priest,  to  whom  it  belonged  to 
pronounce  one  clean  or  unclean.     See  Lev.  xiii,  xiv. 

offer  for  thy  cleansing  the  things  which  Moses  com- 
manded. The  man  was  not  to  disregard  the  Hebrew  law,  but 
to  seek  the  ceremonial  purification  in  the  way  which  it  prescribed 
(Lev.  xiv.  1-32). 

for  a  testimony  unto  them.  To  whom  ?  To  the  people 
generally?  Hardly  so,  for  it  was  not  his  object  that  they  should 
then  know  all  about  it.     To  the  priests  ?    Probably,  for  the  work 


138  ST.  MARK   1.  45— 2.  2 

45  them.  But  he  went  out,  and  began  to  publish  it  much, 
and  to  spread  abroad  the  matter,  insomuch  that  Jesus 
could  no  more  openly  enter  into  a  city,  but  was 
without  in  desert  places :  and  they  came  to  him  from 
every  quarter. 

2  And  when  he  entered  again  into  Capernaum  after 
some  days,  it  was  noised   that  he  was  in  the  house. 

2  And  many  were  gathered  together,  so  that  there  was 
no  longer  room  for  themy  no,  not  even  about  the  door : 

would  be  a  witness  to   them   that  a  Prophet,   perhaps  Messiah 
himself,  was  among  them. 

and  began  to  publish  it  much.  The  man  obeyed  the 
injunction  only  so  far.  He  '  went  out'  indeed,  but  was  loquacious 
and  demonstrative  instead  of  silent.  The  result  was  that  the 
Healer's  work  was  interfered  with  ;  he  could  no  more  preach 
in  towns,  but  had  to  betake  himself  to  'desert  places.'  Even 
there  the  people  kept  coming  to  him. 

ii.  1-12.  The  incident  of  the  Paralytic  Cf.  Mark  ix.  1-8;  Luke 
v.  17-26.  The  event  recorded  in  this  paragraph  has  an  important 
position  in  the  narrative.  It  marks  the  point  at  which  Jesus 
began  to  encounter  opposition.  So  far  his  deeds  and  words  had 
won  a  quick  response  from  the  people.  His  popularity  was  great, 
but  it  did  not  rest  on  a  true  recognition  of  what  he  was,  and 
it  came  in  the  way  of  his  intended  course.  From  this  time  he 
has  to  face  a  series  of  collisions. 

1.  And  when  he  entered  again  into  Capernaum.  The 
heady  enthusiasm  of  the  restored  leper  makes  it  necessary  for 
him  to  change  his  plan.  He  has  to  bring  the  brief  circuit  among 
the  Galilean  synagogues  to  an  end,  and  comes  back  to  Capernaum. 
Luke  agrees  with  Mark  in  introducing  this  narrative  immediately 
after  that  of  the  leper.  Matthew  speaks  of  Jesus  as  coming  to 
Capernaum  from  the  other  side  of  the  lake. 

it  was  noised  that  he  was  in  the  house :  or  better,  indoors, 
at  home.  It  is  not  said  where,  but  probably  it  was  in  Simon's 
house. 

3.  no  longer  room  for  them,  no,  not  even  about  the  door. 
Mark's  description  of  the  eagerness  of  the  people,  still  under  the 
spell  of  his  person  and  work,  is  very  graphic.  He  lets  us  see 
the  excited  crowds  hurrying  to  the  house  at  the  news,  pressing 
in  with  the  freedom  which  is  allowed  only  in  the  East,  filling  the 
room  in  a  trice,  and  hanging  outside  about  the  door  (which  no 


ST.  MARK  2.  3-5  *39 

and  he  spake  the  word  unto  them.     And  they  come,  3 
bringing  unto  him  a  man  sick  of  the  palsy,  borne  of 
four.     And  when  they  could  not  come  nigh  unto  him  4 
for  the  crowd,  they  uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was  : 
and  when  they  had  broken  it  up,  they  let  down  the  bed 
whereon  the  sick  of  the  palsy  lay.     And  Jesus  seeing  5 
their  faith  saith  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Son,  thy  sins 

doubt  opened  direct  upon  the  street)  with  neck  outstretched  and 
ear  intent. 

spake  the  word:  a  better  rendering  than  ' preached  the 
word.'  Jesus  was  in  a  private  room,  not  in  the  synagogue,  and 
was  speaking  simply  and  informally. 

3.  And  they  come,  bringing  unto  him  a  man  sick  of  the 
palsy :  or  a  paralytic.  Here  is  a  fresh  excitement,  creating  the 
expectation  of  further  wonders. 

borne  of  four  :  that  is,  on  a  light  pallet  or  mattress  carried 
by  two  pairs  of  bearers.  The  number  of  bearers  is  given  only 
by  Mark. 

4.  they  uncovered  the  roof :  lit.1  they  unroofed  the  roof.'  The 
roof  of  a  house  in  Palestine  was  easily  reached  by  an  outer 
staircase  or  ladder. 

and  when  they  had  broken  it  up,  they  let  down  the  bed. 
How  is  this  to  be  understood  ?  Some  think  that  there  was  an 
awning  over  the  open  court,  which  had  only  to  be  lifted,  others 
that  there  was  a  gallery  or  verandah  running  along  the  second 
story,  a  part  of  which  was  removed.  But  the  phrase  f  broken  it  up' 
is  a  strong  one  meaning  *  dug  it  out/  which  suggests  something 
different,  and  in  all  probability  the  house  was  one  of  the  modest, 
single-storied  cottages  suitable  for  humble  folk.  The  roof  of 
a  Jewish  house  of  this  kind  might  consist  of  beams  covered  with 
poles  and  brushwood  and  overlaid  with  earth  and  gravel.  It  might 
be  possible,  therefore,  to  break  it  up,  and  let  the  man  down 
through  it. 

5.  And  Jesus  seeing  their  faith.  It  was  the  faith  of  the 
paralytic's  friends  (nothing  is  said  of  the  sufferer's  own  faith)  that 
attracted  the  notice  of  Jesus— a  faith  so  ardent,  persevering, 
expectant. 

saith  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Son,  thy  sins  are  for- 
given. '  Son,'  '  child,'  a  term  used  of  a  disciple,  and  a  word  of 
encouragement  to  the  sufferei  Not '  be  forgiven,'  as  in  the  A.  V., 
but  '  are  forgiven.'  Jesus  speaks  first  of  forgiveness,  and  of  that 
as  a  thing  accomplished,  and  only  after  that  performs  the  cure. 
What  is  the  point  of  this?    Not  that  he  meant  by  the  forgiveness 


140  ST.  MARK  2.  6-9 

6  are  forgiven.      But  there   were  certain  of  the   scribes 

7  sitting  there,  and  reasoning  in  their  hearts,  Why  doth 
this  man  thus  speak  ?  he  blasphemeth  :  who  can  forgive 

8  sins  but  one,  even  God  ?  And  straightway  Jesus,  per- 
ceiving in  his  spirit  that  they  so  reasoned  within  them- 
selves, saith  unto  them,  Why  reason  ye  these  things  in 

9  your  hearts  ?  Whether  is  easier,  to  say  to  the  sick  of 
the  palsy,  Thy  sins  are  forgiven ;   or  to  say,  Arise,  and 

only  the  cure  itself,  the  relief  of  the  man  from  the  physical  conse- 
quences of  'some  sin  affecting  the  nervous  organization'  (Gould). 
That  fails  to  do  justice  to  the  force  of  the  word  used  here,  which 
expresses  the  removal  of  guilt.  Or  it  is  that  Jesus  saw  more  than 
the  faith  of  the  friends — the  sense  of  sin  in  the  heart  of  the 
sufferer  himself,  deeper  there  than  even  his  sense  of  the  physical 
malady  ?  The  simpler  explanation  may  be  that  Jesus  acts  in 
accordance  with  Jewish  ideas  of  forgiveness  and  restoration. 
'  There  is  no  sick  man  healed  of  his  sickness,'  said  the  Rabbis, 
'  until  all  his  sins  have  been  forgiven  him '  (Schottgen,  cited 
by  Swete). 

6.  certain  of  the  scribes  sitting  there :  no  doubt  in  the 
place  of  honour.  The  scribes  of  these  parts  had  been  joined  by 
others  from  the  south  (cf.  Luke  v.  17).  This  is  the  first  encounter 
with  this  powerful  class. 

reasoning-  in  their  hearts.     They  said  nothing,  but  sat  in 
suspicious  watchfulness,  ready  to  catch  at  any  word. 

7.  Why  doth... thus  speak?  he  blasphemeth.  The  A.  V.  misses 
the  point  here.  What  stimulated  their  evil  thoughts  now,  as  on 
later  occasions,  was  the  claims  he  made.  Here  it  was  his  claim 
to  forgive  sin.  He  had  not  indeed  asserted  that  in  so  many  words. 
He  had  simply  said  — '  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.'  But  they  read 
that  declaration  as  a  claim  for  himself,  and  held  it  to  be  blasphemy, 
that  is  to  say,  a  kind  of  speech  hurtful  to  the  honour  of  God. 

8.  perceiving*  in  his  spirit.  The  word  'perceiving'  here 
denotes  complete,  certain  knowledge  (cf,  1  Cor.  xiii.  12),  but 
a  knowledge  '  in  his  spirit,'  not  gained  by  the  senses.  This 
power  of  reading  men's  thoughts  intuitively  is  recognized  on  other 
occasions:  see  e.  g.  John  ii.  24,  25,  xxi.  17. 

9.  Whether  is  easier,  to  say  ...  or  to  say.  He  places  two 
declarations  over  against  each  other,  not  the  acts  themselves,  but 
the  authoritative  words,  and  asks  them  which  is  easier.  The 
word  of  healing  might  seem  the  Larder,  as  it  had  to  deal  with 
visible  effects,  the  failure  of  which  would  convict  him. 


ST.  MARK   2.   10-14  141 

take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk  ?     But   that   ye   may  know  10 
that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins 
(he  saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy),  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise,  11 
take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  unto  thy  house.     And  he  arose,  12 
and  straightway  took  up  the  bed,  and  went  forth  before 
them  all;    insomuch   that   they  were  all   amazed,  and 
glorified  God,  saying,  We  never  saw  it  on  this  fashion. 

And  he  went  forth  again  by  the  sea  side;  and  all  the  13 
multitude  resorted  unto  him,  and  he  taught  them.  And  14 
as  he  passed  by,  he  saw  Levi  the  son  of  Alphaeus  sitting 

10.  But  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power 
on  earth  to  forgrive  sins.  'Power'  means  authority  here;  and 
'  on  earth  '  (as  in  contrast  with  the  authority  of  God  in  heaven) 
defines  it  as  an  authority  committed  to  the  Son  of  man.  The 
question  was  about  forgiveness,  a  moral  act  implying  authority. 
They  challenged  his  right  to  forgive  sins.  He  brings  the  matter 
at  once  to  a  test  which  they  could  understand,  by  asserting  his 
possession  of  another  power.  If  open,  unmistakable  results 
proved  him  to  have  that  power,  they  could  the  less  doubt  his 
authority  in  a  region  where  claims  could  not  be  attested  by  visible 
effects. 

11.  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise.  He  knew  that,  if  he  failed  in 
this,  he  would  be  discredited.  Yet  he  falters  not — sublime,  calm 
certitude ! 

12.  arose,  and  straightway  took  up  the  bed.  The  event 
justified  the  assurance.  The  cure  was  immediate,  thorough,  and 
open  to  every  eye.  The  man  went  forth  'before  them  all,'  and 
all  were  moved  profoundly,  confessing  the  hand  of  God  in  the 
event.  In  this  the  healed  man  himself  led  the  way,  as  we  gather 
from  Luke  v.  25. 

Here  we  have  the  first  occurrence  of  the  title  *  the  Son  of  man  ' 
in  Mark's  Gospel.  From  this  point  we  meet  it  often.  As  to  its 
import  see  under  chap.  ix.  12. 

ii.  13-14.  The  call  of  Levi',  cf.  Matt.  ix.  9-13  ;  Luke  v.  27-32. 
An  event  of  importance  as  regarded  both  our  Lord's  ministry  and 
the  causes  of  offence  with  him. 

13.  taught  them.  Jesus  now  leaves  Capernaum  and  betakes 
himself  again  to  the  sea-side.  There  he  resumes  his  teaching, 
which  had  been  interrupted.  The  interest  of  the  people  is  as 
great  as  ever. 

14.  Levi  the  son   of  Alpheeus.     Who  is  this   Levi  ?      Some 


142  ST.  MARK  2.  15,  16 

at  the  place  of  toll,  and  he  saith  unto  him,  Follow  me. 

15  And  he  arose  and  followed  him.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  he  was  sitting  at  meat  in  his  house,  and  many 
publicans  and  sinners  sat  down  with  Jesus  and  his 
disciples :  for  there  were  many,  and  they  followed  him. 

16  And  the  scribes  of  the  Pharisees,  when  they  saw  that 

have  taken  him  to  be  a  different  person  from  Matthew,while  it  has 
also  been  conjectured  that  he  may  have  been  the  supervisor,  and 
Matthew  an  officer  under  him.  But  it  is  most  unlikely  that  there 
should  have  been  two  men,  solemnly  called  in  the  same  way  and 
in  the  same  place  by  Jesus,  one  becoming  an  apostle  and  the 
other  remaining  quite  unknown.  Most  are  of  opinion,  therefore, 
that  Levi  and  Matthew  are  names  of  one  and  the  same  person. 
Matthew,  not  Levi,  is  the  name  that  occurs  in  the  lists  of  the 
Apostles.  The  mention  of  Alphmts  has  led  some  to  regard  him 
as  the  brother  of  'James  the  less."  But  he  is  not  coupled  with 
that  James  in  the  lists  of  the  Apostles,  as  Peter  is  with  Andrew 
and  John  with  James. 

sitting-  at  the  place  of  toll.  The  Romans  farmed  out  the 
taxes  to  rich  citizens,  who  emploj^ed  agents  to  do  the  work  of 
collection.  Levi  was  one  of  these  subordinate,  provincial  custom- 
house officers.  Such  agents  were  usually  natives.  Their  task 
was  an  odious  one,  and  it  lent  itself  readily  to  rapacity  and 
oppression.  They  had  an  evil  reputation  in  all  the  provinces, 
most  of  all  perhaps  in  Palestine  where  the  Roman  yoke  was 
so  hateful.  Capernaum  was  an  important  custom-house  station. 
It  is  only  in  Matthew's  list  of  the  Apostles  (chap.  x.  3),  that 
Matthew  is  called  '  the  publican.' 

14.  followed  him.  For  a  man  in  Levi's  place  it  meant  more 
to  answer  Christ's  call  than  it  did  to  Simon  and  his  comrades. 
They  had  an  occupation  which  they  could  easily  resume  ;  he  was 
in  a  less  favourable  position. 

ii.  15-17.  The  feast  in  Levi's  house;  cf.  Matt.  x.  10-13;  Luke 
v.  29-32.  Luke  describes  it  as  'a  great  feast' — a  reception,  to 
which  Levi  had  invited  many  members  of  his  own  class.  Jesus, 
no  doubt,  was  the  most  honoured  guest. 

15.  in  his  house.  Whose  house?  Levi's  surely.  Some  say 
the  house  of  Jesus.  But  this  would  conflict  with  Luke's  account, 
and  there  is  no  reference  elsewhere  to  our  Lord  having  a  house 
of  his  own. 

16.  the  scribes  of  the  Pharisees.  So  in  Acts  xxiii.  9  we  read 
of  '  scribes  of  the  Pharisees'  part,'  i.  e.  those  belonging  to  that 
religious  party. 


ST.  MARK  2.  17-19  143 

he  was  eating  with  the  sinners  and  publicans,  said  unto 
his  disciples,  He  eateth  and  drinketh  with  publicans  and 
sinners.  And  when  Jesus  heard  it,  he  saith  unto  them,  17 
They  that  are  whole  have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but 
they  that  are  sick  :  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but 
sinners. 

And  John's  disciples  and  the  Pharisees  were  fasting :  18 
and   they   come   and    say    unto    him,    Why    do   John's 
disciples  and  the  disciples   of  the   Pharisees   fast,   but 
thy  disciples  fast  not  ?     And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Can  19 

with  publicans  and  sinners.  The  word  *  publican,'  which 
means  property  the  renter  or  farmer  of  the  taxes,  is  used  in  the 
N.T.  of  the  subordinate  collectors.  'Sinners' in  this  connexion 
may  not  mean  more  than  men  not  recognized  by  the  official 
religionists.  That  Jesus  should  associate  with  the  class  held 
outcast  by  the  strict  Jews,  and  should  even  receive  one  of  these 
despised  men  into  the  circle  of  his  intimate  friends,  was  a  second 
cause  of  offence.  Notice  the  first  occurrence  here  of  the  name 
*  disciples '  of  Jesus. 

IV.  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners.  'The  philosophy, 
in  a  nutshell,  of  all  home  and  foreign  missionary  operations' 
(Morrison).  Jesus  came  to  do  a  plvysician's  part.  If  there  were 
any  whole,  the}'  required  him  not ;  if  there  were  any  really 
righteous,  the}7  had  no  need  of  his  call. 

ii.  18-22.  Questions  of  fasting,  raised  by  observance  of  the  fact  that 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  did  not  act  as  John's  disciples  and  the  Pharisees 
did;  cf.  Matt.  ix.  14-17;  Luke  v.  33-39. 

18.  John's  disciples.  The  Baptist's  followers,  therefore,  re- 
mained a  distinct  party,  with  their  own  religious  practice. 

were  fasting.  Not  'used  to  fast'  (A.V.),  but  were  so 
engaged  then.  Fasting  had  come  to  have  a  great  importance 
attached  to  it.  In  the  law  its  observance  was  prescribed  on  the 
great  Day  of  Atonement.  But  the  traditional  law  had  added  much 
to  the  written  law,  and  zealous  Jews  are  said  to  have  made  the 
second  and  fifth  days  of  each  week  days  of  fasting. 

they  come.  Who  ?  Some  sajr  the  scribes,  and  the  form  of 
the  question  favours  this.  But  Matthew  says,  'the  disciples  of 
John/  and  gives  the  question  in  terms  including  them  with  the 
Pharisees. 

thy  disciples  fast  not.  The  suggestion  is  that  either  John's 
disciples  and  the  Pharisees  did  too  much,  or  that  Jesus  did  too 
little  in  allowing  his  disciples  to  disregard  fasting. 


144  ST.  MARK   2.  20-22 

the  sons  of  the  bride-chamber  fast,  while  the  bridegroom 
is  with  them  ?  as  long  as  they  have  the  bridegroom  with 

20  them,  they  cannot  fast.  But  the  days  will  come,  when 
the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  away  from  them,  and  then 

21  will  they  fast  in  that  day.  No  man  seweth  a  piece  of 
undressed  cloth  on  an  old  garment :  else  that  which 
should  fill  it  up  taketh  from  it,  the  new  from  the  old, 

22  and  a  worse  rent  is  made.  And  no  man  putteth  new 
wine  into  old  wine-skins  •.  else  the  wine  will  burst  the 
skins,  and  the  wine  perisheth,  and  the  skins  :  but  they 
put  new  wine  into  fresh  wine-skins. 

19.  sons  of  the  bridechamber :  the  bridegroom's  particular 
friends,  who  attended  to  matters  belonging  to  the  marriage 
ceremony. 

cannot  fast.  It  would  not  be  in  character  for  them  to  do  so. 
In  later  Judaism  waiting  on  the  bridegroom  brought  exemption,  it 
is  said,  from  certain  prescriptions  of  the  traditional  law. 

20.  the  bridegroom.  Thus  Jesus  indirectly  applies  to  himself 
the  great  figure  by  which  O.  T.  prophecy  (e.  g.  Hos.  ii.  21)  sets 
forth  Jehovah  in  His  covenant  relation  to  Israel.  The  same  figure 
was  used  by  the  Baptist  (John  iii.  29). 

shall  be  taken  away.  The  word  is  a  strong  one,  expressing 
violent  removal.  Preserved  as  it  is  by  each  of  the  three  Synoptists, 
it  can  with  reason  be  taken  as  the  genuine  utterance  of  our  Lord, 
and  it  shews  that  already  the  thought  of  suffering  and  death  was 
in  his  mind. 

then  will  they  fast  in  that  day.  Times,  therefore,  differ 
and  observances  with  them.  Fasting  is  not  a  necessary  or  con- 
stant part  of  religious  duty  ;  yet  there  may  be  occasions  on  which 
it  will  be  appropriate  and  helpful. 

21.  Wo  man  seweth  ...  a  worse  rent  is  made.  A  sentence 
more  difficult  in  form  than  in  sense.  What  is  in  view  is  the  fact 
that  new  undressed  cloth  shrinks,  and  if  used  to  mend  old  cloth, 
is  apt  to  break  away  and  increase  the  rent  it  is  meant  to  cover. 

22.  wine-skins.  A  better  rendering  than  the  ' bottles'  of  the 
A.  V.  Wine-bottles  in  those  days  were  skins.  But  skins  wear 
out  and  become  thin  by  age  ;  and  in  that  condition  they  are  unable 
to  bear  the  strain  put  upon  them  by  the  inpouring  of  the  '  young 
wine,'  the  newly  fermented  wine  of  the  season. 

These  homely  comparisons,  parables  in  germ,  express  how 
mistaken  it  is  to  think  of  mixing  up  things  which  differ.  A  religion 
of  fasting  is  one  thing  ;  the  religion  of  Christ  is  another.    To  patch 


ST.  MARK   2.   23-26  145 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  was  going  on  the  sabbath  -3 
day  through  the  cornfields ;  and  his  disciples  began,  as 
they  went,  to  pluck  the  ears  of  corn.     And  the  Pharisees  24 
said  unto  him,  Behold,  why  do  they  on  the  sabbath  day 
that  which  is  not  lawful  ?     And  he  said  unto  them,  Did  25 
ye  never  read  what  David  did,  when  he  had  need,  and 
was  an  hungred,  he,  and  they  that  were  with  him  ?    How  26 

up  the  old  religious  system  with  the  new,  or  to  burden  the  new 
with  the  old,  is  a  thing  at  once  incongruous  and  injurious. 

ii.  23  28.  The  question  of  the  Sabbath  ;  cf.  Matt.  xii.  1-8  ;  Luke 
vi.  1-5.  Mark  and  Luke  agree  in  the  order  in  which  they  intro- 
duce this  incident.  Matthew  proceeds  from  the  questions  about 
fasting  to  the  case  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  and  brings  in  the 
present  paragraph  only  after  the  record  of  the  gracious  words  of 
Jesus  about  his  yoke  and  burden.  Here  Mark  reports  a  fourth 
cause  of  offence  found  with  Jesus.  He  has  noticed  his  claim  to 
forgive  sin,  his  companying  with  publicans  and  sinners,  his  in- 
difference to  fasting.  Now  he  instances  the  fault  found  with  his 
disregard  of  the  conventional  sabbath  law. 

23.  the  cornfields  :  literally  sown  lands ;  no  doubt  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Capernaum. 

began,  as  they  went,  to  pluck  the  ears  of  corn.  In  strict 
grammatical  usage  the  words  would  mean,  as  in  the  margin  of  the 
R.  V.,  '  began  to  make  their  way  plucking.'  The  idea  thus  would 
be  that  the  corn  had  overgrown  the  path,  and  the  disciples  had  to 
open  a  way  by  plucking  the  ears,  and  the  offence  then  would 
be  in  the  doing  of  a  thing  which  it  was  not  lawful  to  do  on  any 
day.  But  this  would  not  be  consistent  with  the  express  state- 
ment of  Matthew,  and  it  would  take  the  point  from  what  is 
afterwards  said  about  the  hunger  and  the  eating.  Hence  most 
prefer  the  rendering  of  the  A.  V.  and  the  R.  V.  texts.  The  offence 
lies  thus  in  doing  on  the  sabbath  day  a  thing  which  was  lawful  in 
itself. 

24.  on  the  sabbath  day  that  which  is  not  lawful.  The 
Deuteronomic  law  had  some  simple  prescriptions  bearing  on  the 
liberty  to  be  taken  with  a  neighbour's  corn  (Deut.  xxiii.  25). 
But  the  traditional  law  had  gone  far  beyond  these,  and  had  made 
plucking  the  corn  equivalent  to  reaping  it.  But  reaping  on  the 
sabbath  \w    forbidden  (Exod.  xxxiv.  21). 

25.  Did  ye  never  read?  He  refutes  them  out  of  their  own 
Scripture  .  .owing  by  the  case  of  David  and  his  hungry  men,  as 
recorded  in  Sam.  xxi.  1-6,  how  such  restrictive  regulations  had 
to  give  place  to  the  higher  requirements  of  necessity  and  mercy. 


146  ST.  MARK   2.  27,  28 

he  entered  into  the  house  of  God  when  Abiathar  was 
high  priest,  and  did  eat  the  shewbread,  which  it  is  not 
lawful  to  eat  save  for  the  priests,  and  gave  also  to  them 

2 7  that  were  with  him  ?     And  he  said  unto  them,  The  sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  sabbath : 

28  so  that  the  Son  of  man  is  lord  even  of  the  sabbath. 


26.  the  house  of  God :  i.  e.  the  tent  of  meeting  pitched  at  that 
period  at  Nob,  a  '  city  of  the  priests'  (1  Sam.  xxii.  19),  probably 
the  place  also  referred  to  in  Neh.  xi.  32  ;  Isa.  x.  32,  not  far  from 
Jerusalem,  Anathoth,  and  Ramah. 

when  Abiathar  was  high  priest :  i.  e.  when  he  was  actually 
in  office.  But  according  to  the  narrative  in  1  Sam.  xxii.  11 
Ahimelech  was  priest  at  the  time.  There  seems  to  be  some 
confusion  in  the  O.  T.  text.  In  1  Sam.  xxii.  20  Abiathar  is  'one 
of  the  sons  of  Ahimelech,  the  son  of  Ahitub  '  ;  in  2  Sam.  viii.  17 
we  have  i  Ahimelech,  the  son  of  Abiathar ' ;  in  1  Sam.  xiv.  3  wc 
have  '  Ahijah,  the  son  of  Ahitub  '  ;  in  i  Chron.  xviii.  16  we  have 
1  Abimelech,  the  son  of  Abiathar.' 

the  shewbread.  '  The  bread  of  the  setting-forth/  in  the  O.  T. 
'  the  bread  of  the  face '  or  '  the  presence  '  (Exod.  xxv.  30,  xxxv. 
13,  xxxix.  36),  called  also  '  the  continual  bread  '  (Num.  iv.  7), 
'the  holy  bread'  (1  Sam.  xxi.  4-6).  It  consisted  of  twelve  new- 
baked  loaves,  placed  every  sabbath  day  on  a  table,  in  two  rows 
of  six,  sprinkled  with  incense,  and  left  for  the  week.  See  its  law 
in  Lev.  xxiv.  5-9.  A  solemn  rite  (cf.  e.  g.  2  Chron.  xiii.  n), 
yet  one  the  meaning  of  which  is  not  explained  in  the  O.  T.  itself. 
It  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  a  symbol  of  a  higher  life  than 
that  of  the  senses,  a  life  of  fellowship  with  God,  requiring  a  special 
spiritual  nourishment.  It  may  have  been  an  acknowledgement 
rather  of  God  as  Israel's  Provider,  an  offering  by  the  people  of  a 
portion  of  their  substance  in  token  of  their  dependence  on  Jehovah, 
and  as  witness  of  their  covenant  relation  and  duty  (Lev.  xxiv.  9). 

2*7.  The  sabbath  was  made  for  man,  net  man  for  the  sabbath. 
The  refutation  of  these  Pharisees  is  carried  now  beyond  the 
witness  of  the  O.  T.  narrative  to  the  principle  of  the  institution  in 
question.  The  sabbath  is  an  ordinance  of  grace,  meant  to  bring 
man  relief  from  toil  and  to  be  to  him  for  good.  It  is  his  servant, 
not  his  taskmaster. 

lord  even  of  the  sabbath.  The  sabbath  being  meant  for 
man,  and  man  not  being  intended  to  be  its  slave,  the  Representa- 
tive Man,  he  in  whom  the  Divine  idea  of  man  is  embu'lied,  is  its 
lord,  not  its  servant,  and  his  disciples,  acting  as  such  were  free 
of  blame.  'Even  of  the  sabbath,'— that  is,  a  lordship  which 
extended   over  other   things  and  did  not  stop  short  evc*n  of  an 


ST.   MARK   3.   1-3  147 

And  he  entered  again  into  the  synagogue ;  and  there  3 
was  a  man  there  which  had  his  hand  withered.     And  2 
they  watched  him,  whether  he  would  heal  him  on  the 
sabbath  day ;    that  they  might  accuse   him.     And   he  3 
saith  unto  the  man  that  had  his  hand  withered,  Stand 

institution  so  sacred  to  the  Jew  as  this.  This  lordship  did  not 
imply  the  claim  to  abolish,  but  the  authority  to  adapt  and  fulfil. 
The  real  purpose  of  the  sabbath  law  had  been  obscured  and  over- 
laid by  a  mass  of  exasperating  prescriptions.  It  is  relieved  and 
reaffirmed. 

iii.  1-6.  Healing  of  a  man  with  his  hand  withered;  cf.  Matt.  xii. 
9  if;  Luke  vi.  6-n.  All  three  gospels  place  this  incident  in 
immediate  connexion  with  that  of  the  plucking  of  the  ears  of  corn 
on  the  sabbath.  It  is  probably  introduced  at  this  point  in  order 
to  set  forth  how  Jesus  regarded  the  sabbath  law  and  what  liberty 
he  asserted  under  it.  This  miracle  is  important  as  making  the 
fifth  cause  of  offence  with  Jesus,  and  as  being  one  of  the  seven 
wrought  on  the  sabbath.  The  others  were  in  the  cases  of 
the  demoniac  at  Capernaum  (Mark  i.  21),  Simon's  wife's  mother 
(Mark  i.  27),  the  impotent  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda  (John  v.  9) 
the  woman  with  the  spirit  of  infirmity  (Luke  xiii.  14),  the 
dropsical  man  (Luke  xiv.  1),  the  man  born  blind  (John  ix.  14). 

1.  into  the  synagogue.  Jesus  is,  therefore,  once  more  in 
Capernaum,  and  in  the  place  of  worship.  The  time  is  not  distinctly 
indicated.  The  narratives  of  Matthew  and  Mark  suggest  the 
sabbath  immediately  following  the  one  on  which  the  plucking 
of  the  ears  of  corn  took  place.  But  Luke  says  simply  '  another 
sabbath.' 

his  hand  withered.  A  better  rendering  than  the  'having 
a  withered  hand '  of  the  A.  V.  The  phrase  suggests  that  the  man 
was  not  in  this  condition  by  birth,  but  had  become  so  by  injury 
or  disease.  Luke,  the  physician,  notes  that  it  was  the  right  hand. 
It  was  a  case  of  hand-paralysis  or  atrophy.  Tradition  spoke 
of  the  man  as  a  bricklayer,  who  asked  to  be  cured  that  he  might 
be  able  to  work  for  his  support. 

2.  watched  him.  The  word  implies  minute  observation,  here 
evidently  with  fell  intent.  The  traditional  law  allowed  the  giving 
of  relief  only  when  life  was  in  danger.  In  a  case  like  the  present 
there  was  no  immediate  danger,  and  it  was  a  breach  of  the  law, 
therefore,  according  to  the  scribes,  to  do  anything  for  the  cure 
of  the  sufferer  until  the  sabbath  was  over.  These  jealous  watchers 
seem  to  have  expected  Jesus  to  act. 

3.  Stand  forth.  'Rise  and  come  into  the  midst.'  Jesus  sets 
about  his  healing  work  in  a  peculiarly  public  and  formal  way. 

L  2 


143  ST.  MARK   3.  4,5 

4  forth.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Is  it  lawful  on  the 
sabbath  day  to  do  good,  or  to  do  harm  ?  to  save  a  life, 

5  or  to  kill?  But  they  held  their  peace.  And  when  he 
had  looked  round  about  on  them  with  anger,  being 
grieved  at  the  hardening  of  their  heart,  he  saith  unto 
the  man,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.     And  he  stretched  it 

He  would  have  all  men  see  it,  as  it  was  to  be  a  test  of  his  action 
and  of  his  attitude  to  the  sabbath. 

4.  And  he  saith  unto  them.     From  this  we  should  infer  that 
..  Jesus  was  himself  the  challenger.     But  according  to  Matthew  the 

Pharisees  took  the  initiative.       Luke  tells  us  that  Jesus  f  knew 
their  thoughts,'  and  questioned  them. 

to  do  good,  or  to  do  harm.  The  words  may  mean  simply 
'  to  act  rightly  or  to  act  wrongly  ,  (cf.  1  Pet.  ii.  15,  20).  The  point 
of  the  question  then  would  be — '  Would  they  say  that  it  could  ever 
be  unlawful,  on  sabbath  day  any  more  than  on  week  day,  to  act 
rightly?'  The  terms,  however,  may  also  mean  'to  do  one  a  service 
or  to  do  one  a  wrong';  and  this  is  the  sense  here,  as  appears  from  the 
explanatory  words,  l  to  save  a  life  or  to  kill.'  Matthew  introduces 
here  Christ's  words  about  the  sheep  fallen  into  a  pit,  in  which 
he  appeals  to  their  own  practice.  The  law  did  not  prohibit 
beneficent  work  on  the  sabbath  ;  even  under  the  traditional  law 
allowances  were  made,  as  their  own  acts  shewed. 

5.  held  their  peace.     Only  Mark  notices  this. 

looked  round  about.  An  expressive  word  used  some  half- 
dozen  times  by  Mark  (iii.  5,  34,  v.  32,  ix.  8,  x.  23,  xi.  n),  and 
mostly  of  '  the  quick  searching  glance  round  the  circle  of  his 
friends  or  enemies,  which  Peter  remembered  as  characteristic  of 
the  Lord '  (Swete). 

with  anger,  heing  grieved.  Christ  as  true  man  had  the 
normal  feelings,  emotions,  and  susceptibilities  of  man — wrath  no 
less  than  grief.  Anger,  as  righteous  indignation  against  wrong, 
is  an  essential  element  in  the  moral  nature  of  man.  Plato  gave 
it  an  integral  place  in  man.  Butler  held  it  necessary  as  the 
balance  of  pity.  The  N.  T.  recognizes  an  anger  that  is  legitimate, 
although  in  human  nature  as  it  is,  wrath  is  all  too  apt  to  pass 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  lawful  (cf.  Eph.  iv.  26). 

at  the  hardening  of  their  heart.  The  word  denotes  the 
making  of  a  callus,  the  substance  that  unites  the  ends  of  a  fractured 
bone,  and  so  the  process  of  hardening  into  insensibility  to  truth. 
Here  it  is  the  hardening  of  mind  rather  than  of  feeling  that 
seems  particularly  in  view.  The  'heart,'  in  Hebrew  ideas,  w 
the  seat  of  the  thoughts. 

Stretch  forth  thy  hand.      On  this  occasion  Jesus  used  no 


ST.  MARK    3.  6,  7  149 

forth :   and  his  hand  was  restored.     And  the  Pharisees  6 
went   out,    and    straightway    with    the    Herodians    took 
counsel  against  him,  how  they  might  destroy  him. 

And  Jesus  with  his  disciples  withdrew  to  the  sea :  and  7 
a  great  multitude  from  Galilee  followed  :  and  from  Judaea, 

means.      He  did    not  even   touch   the   sufferer.      The  cure  was 
effected  in  a  way  that  had  nothing  of  the  appearance  of  a  work. 

And  he  stretched  it  forth.  The  courage  that  made  the 
man  stand  forth  was  great.  The  faith  that  made  him  stretch  forth 
his  dead  hand,  and  attempt  the  apparently  impossible,  was  greater 
still.  The  cure  followed  at  once  ;  compare  the  O.  T.  case  of 
Jeroboam  (1  Kings  xiii.  4). 

6.  went  out,  and  straightway  :  mad  with  the  sense  of  defeat, 
to  scheme  revenge  without  delay. 

with  the  Herodians.  The  word  '  Herodians '  occurs  only  in 
a  few  cases  (Matt.  xxii.  16 ;  Mark  iii.  6,  xii.  13).  They  are 
referred  to  indirectly  also  in  Matt.  viii.  15.  We  have  no  statement 
about  them  in  Josephus,  or  any  writer  of  these  times.  They  may 
have  been  partisans  of  Antipas,  or  rather  adherents  of  Herod  the 
Great ;  in  all  probability  a  political  rather  than  a  religious  party, 
favouring  the  Roman  government  and  following  a  policy  of  com- 
promise between  strict  Judaism  and  the  new  ideas. 

took  counsel.  The  word  indicates  something  of  a  consultation, 
though  an  informal  one.  It  points  to  something  more  than  had 
yet  been  done,  though  not  as  yet  to  the  deliberate  action  of  an 
official  body.  Between  Pharisees  and  Herodians  there  could  be 
no  natural  sympathy.  Opposition  to  this  Disturber  of  the  existing 
condition  of  things  brings  them  together. 

iii.  7-12.  Growing  popularity  in  Galilee,  despite  the  antagonism 
of  the  classes;  cf.  Matt.  xii.  15-21.  The  two  narratives  agree  in 
reporting  the  withdrawal  of  Jesus,  the  numerous  following,  the 
works  of  healing,  and  the  injunction  to  silence.  Mark  gives  more 
detail,  while  Matthew  adds  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 

*I.  withdrew  to  the  sea:  with  a  view  to  safety.  Matthew  in- 
dicates that  it  was  when  he  knew  of  the  counsel  taken  against 
him  that  Jesus  left  Capernaum  and  turned  again  to  the  Sea  of 
Galilee. 

a  great  multitude  .  .  .  followed.  Mark  brings  out  not  only 
the  largeness  of  the  following,  but  also  (which  Matthew  does  not 
give)  the  wide  extent  and  variety  of  the  territory  represented. 
People  were  attracted  not  only  from  Galilee,  but  from  Judaea  and 
Jerusalem  and  Idumaea  in  the  south,  from  Peraea  in  the  east,  and 

im  the  parts  about  Tyre  and  Sidon  in  the  north-west. 


i5o  ST.  MARK   3.  8-12 

S  and  from   Jerusalem,   and  from   Idumaea,   and   beyond 

Jordan,  and  about  Tyre  and  Sidon,  a  great  multitude, 

9  hearing  what  great  things  he  did,  came  unto  him.     And 

he  spake  to  his  disciples,  that  a  little  boat  should  wait 

on  him  because  of  the  crowd,  lest  they  should  throng 

10  him:  for  he  had  healed  many;  insomuch  that  as  many 

,  as  had  plagues  pressed  upon  him  that  they  might  touch 

n  him.     And  the  unclean  spirits,  whensoever  they  beheld 

him,  fell  down  before  him,  and  cried,  saying,  Thou  art 

1 2  the  Son  of  God.     And  he  charged  them  much  that  they 

should  not  make  him  known. 


8.  Idumaea :  the  Edom  of  the  O.  T.,  mentioned  also  by  the 
name  Idumaea  in  Isa.  xxxiv.  5,  6  (A.  V.  :  Edom  in  R.V.) ;  Ezek. 
xxxv.  15,  xxxvi.  5  (A.  V.  :  Edom  in  R.  V.).  This  is  its  only 
occurrence  in  the  N.T.  It  denotes  the  territory  occupied  by 
the  descendants  of  Esau,  originally  Mount  Seir,  but,  after  the 
Exile,  part  of  Southern  Palestine.  By  our  Lord's  time  the  people 
were  practically  included  in  the  Jewish  nation  (Herod  the  Great 
was  an  Idumsean),  and  Idumaea  made  part  of  Judaea. 

from . . .  beyond  Jordan :  that  is,  Peraea,  the  district  to  the  east 
of  the  Jordan,  lying  mostly  between  the  Arnon  and  the  Jabbok. 

about  Tyre  and  Sidon :  that  is,  the  Phoenician  sea-coast,  the 
north-west  territory  termed  Phenice  in  Acts  (xi.  19,  xv.  3,  xxi.  2). 

9.  a  little  boat  should  wait  on  him.     The  boat  was  to  be  in 
^  constant  attendance,  and  was  to  take  the  place  which  the  synagogue 

had  had  hitherto  as  the  chief  scene  of  his  teaching. 

10.  plagues:  lit.  'scourges/ i.  e.  torturing  maladies. 
pressed :  lit.  '  fell '  on  him — a  picture,  in  a  word,  of  the  eager, 

excited  impetuosity  of  the  people,  which  was  like  to  crush  him. 
They  believed  that  if  they  but  touched  him  they  would  experience 
the  healing  power. 

11.  unclean  spirits:  or  'demons,'  that  is,  the  sufferers 
possessed  by  such. 

whensoever :  '  as  often  as,'  or  it  may  be  '  so  soon  as.* 

fell  down :    rather,  '  would  fall  down,'  that  is  in  homage. 

The  first  recorded  occasion  of  that. 

the  Son  of  God.     Here  probably  as  meaning  the  Messiah  :  a 

more  definite  title,  however,  than   the  previous  '  the  Holy  One 

of  God '  (i.  23). 

12.  he  charg-ed  them  much.    Why?    Because,  as  Bengel  puts 
-    it,  '  neither  was  this  the  time  nor  were  those  the  preachers.' 


ST.  MARK  3.  13-17  151 

And  he  goeth  up  into  the  mountain,  and  calleth  unto  i?, 
him  whom  he  himself  would :  and  they  went  unto  him. 
And  he  appointed  t\\  that  they  might  be  with  him,  14 

and  that  he  might  send  them  forth  to  preach,  and  to  15 
have  authority  to  cast  out  devils  :  and  Simon  he  surnamed  16 
Peter;   and  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  the  17 

iii.  13-19.  The  choice  of  t/u  Twelve.  An  event  that  makes^ 
a  great  epoch  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  All  the  three  Synoptists 
record  it  and  attach  the  same  importance  to  it,  although  the}'  do 
not  all  introduce  it  in  precisely  the  same  connexion  ;  cf.  Matt.  x. 
2-4,  Luke  vi.  12-16.  The  a  k  of  Jesus  was  growing  on  his 
hand,  the  feeling  of  the  common  people  was  with  him,  there  was 
much  to  do  for  them  and  among  them,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  hostility  of  the  classes  was  taking  shape.  He  had  crowds 
following  him,  and  a  certain  number  of  disciples  more  particularly 
attached  to  him.  But  the  time  had  come  when  there  was  need 
of  a  body  of  adherents  more  closely  and  officially  connected  with 
him,  to  be  with  him  regularly  and  to  do  certain  work  for  him. 

13.  g-oeth  up  into  the  mountain.  One  of  the  hills  above  the 
lake,  and  one  with  which  he  was  familiar.  Luke  tells  us  that  Jesus 
went  there  to  pray,  and  that  he  continued  in  prajTer  all  night. 
Thus  did  he  prepare  for  the  important  act  of  the  ordination. 

calleth  unto  him  whom  he  himself  would.  The  election 
took  place,  Luke  tells  us,  at  the  break  of  dajr,  as  Jesus  came  fresh 
from  the  night  of  communion  with  God. 

14.  And  he  appointed  twelve.  The  election  was  a  twofold 
one.  First  he  called  to  him  a  certain  number  out  of  the  whole 
body  of  his  followers,  and  then  from  these  he  chose  twelve— with 
reference  no  doubt  to  the  twelve  tribes. 

that  they  might  be  with  him.     The  Twelve  were  chosen  ^ 
for  two  great  purposes,     The  first  was  that  they  might  be  his 
stated  associates. 

send  them  forth.  The  second  purpose  was  that  they  should 
act  as  his  messengers  or  delegates. 

to  preach:  this  was  their  primary  duty,  the  proclamation  of 
the  good  news  of  the  kingdom. 

15.  authority  to  cast  out  devils  :  ('  demons ').  Matthew  adds 
the  power  of  healing.  This  authority  was  to  be  connected  with 
the  higher  duty  of  preaching,  to  further  it  and  attest  their 
commission. 

16.  Simon  he  surnamed  Peter.     Four  lists  of  the  Apostles 
are  given  (Matt,  x,  Mark  iii,  Luke  vi,  Acts  i).     In  each  case  the  list  ^ 
falis  into  three  groups  of  four  names,  having  Peter,  Philip,  John, 
and  James  the  son  of  Alphaeus  respectively  at  the  head.     Fach  list 


152  ST.  MARK   3.  is,  i9 

brother  of  James  ;    and  them  he  siirnamed  Boanerges, 

1 8  which  is,  Sons  of  thunder:  an*]  Andrew,  and  Philip, 
and  Bartholomew,  and  Matthew,  and  Thomas,  and  James 
the  son   of  Alphoeus,   and   Thaddseus,   and    Simon  the 

19  Canana^an,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  which  also  betrayed 
him. 


"vbegins  with  Peter  and  ends  with  the  traitor.  The  new  name 
Peter,  Hebrew  Cephas =  Rock,  expressed  what  he  was  to  be  to 
the  Church  in  worth  or  in  official  position.  John  (i.  48)  speaks 
of  it  as  given  on  the  occasion  of  Simon's  first  call.  It  may  have 
been  renewed  or  given  with  more  specific  distinction  now. 

17.  Boanerges,  explained  as  'sons  of  thunder.'  But  for  what 
reason  the  title  was  given  is  left  untold.  It  may  point  to  the 
ardent  temper  which  shewed  itself  on  certain  occasions  (cf.  Mark 
ix.  38  ;  Luke  ix.  54).  There  is  nothing  in  the  Gospels  or  elsewhere 
in  the  N.T.  to  shew  that  this  name,  though  given  by  Jesus 
himself,  persisted.     It  is  no  more  mentioned. 

18.  Andrew,  and  Philip:  men  of  Bethsaida,  mentioned  together 
in  John  xii.  22.  Philip  is  not  introduced  again  in  the  narrative 
of  the  first  three  gospels. 

Bartholomew  :  that  is,  '  son  of  Tolmai.'  He  is  taken  to  be  the 
same  as  Nathanael — for  this  among  other  reasons,  that  John 
mentions  Nathanael  twice  but  never  Bartholomew,  while  the 
other  evangelists  speak  of  Bartholomew  and  not  of  Nathanael. 

Thomas.  Of  him  we  see  more  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  (xi.  16, 
xiv.  5,  xx.  24,  26,  27,  28,  29,  xxi.  2). 

James  the  son  of  Alphsens.  In  distinction  from  James, 
son  of  Zebedee,  and  probably  the  same  as  '  James  the  less '  or 
'  the  little,'  son  of  Mary  and  brother  of  Joses. 

Thaddaeus.  Probably  the  same  as  Lebbaeus,  and  also  as  Judas 
the  son  or  brother  of  James,  the  head  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem. 

the  Cananaean :  not  the  'Canaanite'  nor  'the  man  of  Cana,' 
but l  the  Cananaean'  or  ( the  zealot '  (cf.  Luke  vi.  15V  He  may  have 
been  of  the  party  known  as  the  Zealots,  a  fanatical  patriotic  party, 
fiercely  opposed  to  foreign  domination.  Or  the  name  may  indicate 
simply  the  disposition  of  the  man,  his  jealousy  for  the  cause  which 
he  espoused. 

19.  Iscariot:  that  is,  'the  man  of  Kerioth.'  But  where  this 
Kerioth  was  is  uncertain.  A  Kerioth-hezron  is  mentioned  in 
Joshua  xv.  25.  If  Judas  belonged  to  it,  he  would  be  a  native  of 
Judaea,  and  the  only  one  among  the  Twelve  that  was  a  Judaean. 
A  Kerioth  in  Moab  is  also  referred  to  in  Jer.  xlviii.  24,  41.  If  this 
were  the  place  in  view  Judas  would  belong  to  the  district  east  of  the 
Dead  Sea.     In  most  cases  the  name  of  this  Judas  is  coupled  v  ith 


ST.  MARK  3.  20-23  153 

And  he  cometh  into  a  house.      And  the  multitude  20 
cometh  together  again,  so  that  they  could  not  so  much 
as  eat  bread.     And  when  his  friends  heard  it,  they  went  2 1 
out  to  lay  hold  on  him  :   for  they  said,  He  is  beside 
himself.     And  the  scribes  which  came  down  from  Jeru-  22 
salem  said,  He  hath  Beelzebub,  and,  By  the  prince  of 
the  devils  casteth  he  out  the  devils.    And  he  called  them  23 

the  terrible  note  of  his  treacherj'  (Matt.  x.  4;  Luke  vii.  16;  John 
xii.  4,  xviii.  2,  5 ;   Acts  i.  16). 

into  a  house :  or,  as  it  may  be,  home,  and  so  to  Capernaum. 

iii.  20,  21.  Intervention  of  the  Friends  0/  Jesus.  A  short  para- 
graph, given  only  by  Mark.  At  this  point  Luke  introduces  the 
Sermon  on  the  Plain. 

20.  not  so  much  as  eat  bread.  A  graphic  touch,  recalling  the 
actual  scene — the  crowd  gathering  as  eagerly  and  tumultuously 
as  before,  and  taking  complete  possession  of  him,  so  that  he  had 
no  opportunity  even  to  take  food  of  any  kind. 

21.  friends.  Probably,  as  suggested  by  the  'went  out,'  his 
relatives.  His  mother  and  his  brethren  had  come  in  all  likelihood 
from  Nazareth,  anxious  about  him. 

lay  hold  on  him:  to  protect  him  from  his  own  want  of  care  %sr 
and  thought,  as  they  deemed  it.  y^ 

beside  himself.  They  took  his  absorption  in  his  strange 
work  as  a  sign  of  religious  frenz}7. 

iii.  22-30.  Charge  of  working  by  Satanic  Power  :  cf.  Matt.  xii. 
22-45  5  Luke  xi.  14-28. 

22.  scribes  which  came  down  from  Jerusalem.  Mark  is 
most  definite  here.  Matthew  speaks  only  of  'Pharisees,'  and 
Luke  only  of  'some  of  them.'  Those  in  view  were  no  doubt 
scribes  of  the  Pharisaic  party.  Matthew  and  Luke  shew  what  led 
to  this  accusation,  viz.  the  healing  of  one  'possessed  with  a  devil, 
blind  and  iumb.'  The  people  concluded  that  the  Healer  was  the 
Son  of  D  iv'd.     The  scribes  gave  another  explanation. 

Beelzebub:  rather,  'Beelzebul.'  The  former  is  the  name 
given  to  the  god  of  Ekron  (2  Kings  i.  6),  and  is  thought  by  some 
to  mean  'the  god  of  flies.'  The  form  Beelzebul  is  of  doubtful 
origi,  Some  take  it  to  mean  'the  lord  of  filth';  others  make 
it  '  tli  lord  of  the  habitation,'  whether  as  the  god  of  the  air 
(Eph    ii.  2)  or  as  the  god  of  the  nether  world. 

By  (or  'in')  the  prince  of  the  devils  ('demons'):  cf. 
John  xiv.  30,  xvi.  11  ;  Eph.  ii.  2.  A  poor  and  unknown  man  like 
this,  they  thought,  could  not  of  himself  do  the  works   he  tin- 


154  ST.  MARK  3.  24-27 

unto  him,  and  said  unto  them  in  parables,  How  can 

24  Satan  cast  out  Satan?     And  if  a  kingdom  be  divided 

25  against  itself,  that  kingdom  cannot  stand.    And  if  a  house 
be  divided  against  itself,  that  house  will  not  be  able  to 

26  stand.     And  if  Satan  hath  risen  up  against  himself,  and 

27  is  divided,  he  cannot  stand,  but  hath  an  end.      But  no 
one  can  enter  into  the  house  of  the  strong  771cm,  and  spoil 

doubtedly  did.     He  must  be  in  collusion  with  the  powers  of  evil, 
and  so  related  to  them  that  their  prince  works  in  him. 

23.  in  parables.  The  first  occurrence  of  the  word  in  this 
Gospel.  The  word  '  parable '  in  the  O.  T.  represents  a  term  which 
is  used  for  proverbs  (1  Sam.  x.  12  ;  Prov.  i.  r,  &c),  dark,  enig- 
matical utterances  [Ps.  lxxviii.  2  ;  Prov.  i.  6),  mystical,  prophetic 
intimations  (Num.  xxiii.  7,  18,  &c),  and  figurative  speech  with 
more  or  less  of  a  narrative  in  it  (Ezek.  xvii.  1-10).  In  the  N.  T. 
it  is  applied  to  proverbial  sayings  (Lukeiv.  23);  institutions,  persons, 
or  events  of  a  typical  or  suggestive  character  (Heb.  ix.  9,  xi.  19)  ; 
illustrative  statements  or  comparisons  (Matt.  xv.  15;  Luke  vi.  39)  ; 
but  usually  in  the  Gospels  to  comparisons  or  similitudes  containing 
something  of  a  story.  Here  it  has  the  more  general  sense  of  an 
illustrative  or  analogical  statement.  The  Fourth  Gospel  has  alle- 
gories, not  parables  proper. 

How  can  Satan  cast  ont  Satan?  Only  Mark  gives  this 
question.  Jesus  speaks  not  of  the  'prince  of  the  demons,'  but 
of 'Satan, 'the  'adversary'  (the  ordinary  Jewish  name  for  the  Spirit 
of  evil).  In  the  O.  T.  the  references  to  Satan  are  few,  the  most 
definite  being  in  Job  i.  6,  12  ;  Zech.  iii.  1,  2.  In  the  N.  T.  there 
is  a  frequency  of  allusion  to  Satan,  under  a  number  of  names 
and  in  a  variety  of  aspects,  that  contrasts  remarkably  with  the 
reticence  of  the  O.  T. 

26.  cannot  stand.  The  argument  conveyed  by  the  opening 
question  in  verse  23  is  developed  in  three  particular  and  parallel 
cases — a  divided  kingdom,  a  divided  house,  a  divided  Satan.  In 
each  the  consequence  would  be  the  destruction  of  the  subject. 
If  Satan  were  in  collusion  with  Jesus  and  lent  him  his  power,  he 
would  be  his  own  destroyer. 

27.  the  strong*  man.  Another  succinct  'parable'  or  simili- 
tude ;  cf.  Isa.  xlix.  24,  25.  It  gives  the  positive  side  of  the 
refutation.  Not  only  is  Jesus  not  in  alliance  with  Satan-  is 
Satan's  spoiler.  The  'goods'  of  the  strong  man  are  explains  '  by 
Luke  (xi.  22)  as  his  'armour'  and  his  'spoils' — not  onl  his 
possessions,  but  his  weapons,  the  very  things  by  which  he  is  vont 
to  conquer. 


ST.  MARK   3.  28-30  155 

his  goods,  except  he  first  bind  the  strong  ?na?i ;  and  then 
he  will  spoil  his  house.     Verily  I  say  unto  you,  All  their  28 
sins  shall  he  forgiven  unto  the  sons  of  men,  and  their 
blasphemies  wherewith  soever  they  shall  blaspheme :  but  29 
whosoever  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Spirit  hath 
never  forgiveness,  but  is  guilty  of  an  eternal  sin  :  because  30 
they  said,  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit. 

28.  Verily.  In  John's  Gospel  we  get  the  double  form,  Verily, 
verily.  In  the  O.  T.  it  is  used,  as  we  use  Amen,  as  a  conclusion. 
In  the  Gospels  it  is  a  grave  and  emphatic  formula  introducing 
something  that  is  to  be  said. 

All  their  sins.  The  point  seems  to  be  all  kinds  or  classes 
of  sins,  with  special  reference  to  one  kind  or  class  which  might 
well  seem  worse  than  any  other.  The  scribes  had  accused  Jesus 
of  blasphem}',  yet  even  for  such  an  offence  against  himself,  he 
sa}rs,  there  is  forgiveness. 

29.  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  is,  however,  this  one 
exception,  though  only  one,  to  the  general  assurance  of  forgiveness. 
What  is  meant  by  this  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit?  Some 
say  it  is  something  entirely  peculiar  to  these  Pharisaic  slanderers 
of  our  Lord,  with  nothing  like  it  in  the  present  conditions  of  life. 
Others  think  it  has  no  essential  relation  to  the  case  of  these 
Pharisees.  The  truth  lies  between  these  extremes.  These  scribes 
had  seen  an  unmistakable  instance  of  the  working  of  a  hoi}', 
supernatural  power  in  the  healing  deeds  of  Christ.  They  had 
hardened  themselves  against  that  witness,  and  they  had  done 
this  so  relentlessly  that  they  did  not  hesitate  to  ascribe  those 
deeds  of  grace  and  goodness  to  Satanic  power,  dishonouring  the 
Holy  Spirit.  To  speak  ill  of  the  Son  of  Man,  as  he  was  seen  in 
common  human  nature,  might  not  imply  hopeless  evil  and  might 
be  forgiven.  To  deal  thus  with  the  Hoty  Ghost,  as  if  the  power 
which  was  unmistakably  His  were  the  power  of  an  evil  spirit, 
revealed  a  mind  so  set  against  light  and  so  lost  to  conviction  as  to 
lack  the  first  conditions  of  forgiveness. 

hath  never  forgiveness :  '  hath  not  forgiveness  for  ever,' 
'  hath  forgiveness  nevermore ' — an  absolute  negation,  meaning 
that  neither  in  this  dispensation  nor  in  any  other  is  there  for- 
giveness for  such  a  sin. 

gnilty  of  an  eternal  sin.  Each  word  here  is  of  moment  : 
'guilty,'  meaning  1  iterall}7 involved  1, 1,  subject  lo,  the  consequences  of 
something;  'eternal,' in  its  natural  -ense  of  enduring  for  ever  \  'sin,' 
not  'damnation' as  in  the  A.  V.  It  is  in  the  nature  of  things,  there- 
fore, that  the  blasphemy  in  que. sti  »n  should  not  have  forgiveness. 


156  ST.  MARK   3.  31-34 

3r      And  there  come  his  mother  and  his  brethren;   and, 

32  standing  without,  they  sent  unto  him,  calling  him.  And 
a  multitude  was  sitting  about  him ;  and  they  say  unto 
him,  Behold,  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  without  seek 

33  for  thee.    And  he  answereth  them,  and  saith,  Who  is  my 

34  mother  and  my  brethren?  And  looking  round  on  them 
which  sat  round  about  him,  he  saith,  Behold,  my  mother 

The  impossibility  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  man  is  involved  in  a  sin 
that  persists,  a  fixed  disposition  or  character.  An  enduring  sin 
carries  an  enduring  punishment  with  it  and  in  itself. 

30.  because  they  said,  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit :  perhaps 
an  explanation  added  by  the  evangelist  himself,  shewing  how  it 
was  the  accusation  made  by  these  scribes  that  led  to  this  solemn 
declaration. 

iii.  31-35.  The  Mother  and  the  Brethren  :  cf.  Matt.  xii.  46-50  ; 
Luke  viii.  19-21.  Luke  brings  in  this  paragraph  after  the  Parable 
of  the  Sower.  Matthew  attaches  it  definitely  to  our  Lord's  reply 
to  the  request  for  a  sign.  Here  the  connexion  is  with  the 
appearance  of  the  friends  (verse  21). 

31.  his  brethren  :  they  are  named  in  vi.  3,  and  in  Matt.  xiii.  55. 
They  are  taken  by  some  to  have  been  half-brothers,  sons  of 
Joseph  by  a  former  marriage  (the  Epiphanian  theory)  ;  by  others, 
to  have  been  cousins,  sons  of  a  sister  of  the  Virgin  Mary  (the 
Hieronymian  theory,  or  theory  of  Jerome) ;  by  others  still,  to 
have  been  brothers  in  the  proper  sense,  younger  sons  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  (the  Helvidian  theory).  The  last  view  is  favoured  by 
the  natural  sense  of  the  word,  the  inference  from  the  term  '  first- 
born son '  (Matt.  i.  25  ;  Luke  ii.  7)  and  the  mention  of  the  mother 
(with  the  ordinary  sense  of  that  word)  along  with  the  brethren. 

standing  wi'iout:  hey  are  unable  to  get  in  by  reason  of 
the  crowd,  and,  therefore,  s  -nd  a  message  to  Jesus,  which  perhaps 
was  passed  from  mouth  t<  mouth  till  it  reached  those  immediately 
about  him. 

32.  seek  for  thee:  moved  probably  by  anxiety  about  him. 
There  is  nothing  to  indicate  ither  that  they  claimed  any  guardian- 
ship over  him,  or  that  he  gave  the  audience  asked  for. 

33.  answereth  them.  In  the  first  instance  those  who  conveyed 
the  message,  and  then  the  others,  the  mother  and  the  brothers 
probably  being  without. 

34.  looking  round  .  .  .  about:  a  characteristic  action,  but 
meaning  something  different  from  the  indignant  survey  in  iii. 

them  which  sat  round  about  him :  doubtless  the  disciphs  as 
the  words  following  imply. 


ST.  MARK   3.  35-4.  3  157 

and  my  brethren  !    For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  35 
God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother. 

And  again  he  began  to  teach  by  the  sea  side.     And  4 
there  is  gathered  unto  him  a  very  great  multitude,  so 
that  he  entered  into  a  boat,  and  sat  in  the  sea ;  and  all 
the  multitude  were  by  the  sea  on  the  land.     And  he  2 
taught  them  many  things  in  parables,  and  said  unto  them 
in  his  teaching,  Hearken:  Behold,  the  sower  went  forth  3 

35.  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother.  There 
is  no  harshr  in  this  declaration  ;  nothing  to  suggest  that  he 
thought  of  disowning  his  own  relations,  or  made  little  of  natural 
human  ties  and  affections,  or  bade  us  do  so.  But  he  gives  us  to 
understand  that  there  is  a  higher  relationship  still,  a  family  of 
God  that  is  greater  than  the  human  family.  Kinship  to  him  is 
not  of  birth,  but  of  the  Spirit,  and  has  its  essence  in  obedience, 
the  doing  of  his  Father's  will.  \  He  speaks  in  the  full  conscious- 
ness of  his  being  the  Son  of  God,  who  has  duties  incumbent  on 
him  in  virtue  pi  wis  mission'  (Meyer). 

iv.  1-9.  Payable  of  the  Sozvcr  :  cf.  Matt.  xiii.  1-9  ;  Luke  viii.  4-8. 
This  is  the  '  b*  ginning  of  parables,'  as  the  turning  of  water  into 
wine  was  the  '  beginning  of  miracles' — the  great  pattern-parable, 
and  one  of  those  which  have  a  place  in  each  of  the  Synoptists. 
Matthew  and  Mark  agree  in  bringing  it  in  after  the  incident  of  the 
mother  and  brethren.  Luke  places  it  in  a  different  connexion, 
before  that  incident.  Mark  gives  it  as  one  of  'many'  that  were 
spoken  ('verses  2,  33),  and  reports  in  the  same  connexion  other 
two.     Mattlu.      gives  a  cluster  of  seven. 

1.  began  to  teach:  Jesus  was  again  by  the  lake,  and  had 
resumed  his  aachiag.  At  once  a  crowd  gathered,  and  he  betook 
himself  f  y  I  ;edom's  sake  to  the  boat.  Then  his  teaching  took 
the   fori?  parable.     That    this   was   a   change,   and   one   that 

surprised  the  disciples,  appears  from  their  question,  'Why 
speakert  ;hou  unto  them  in  parables?'  (Matt.  xiii.  10).  Hitherto 
he  haw  ught  in  more  direct  and  less  pictorial  terms,  bywords 
of  gr  .  like  those  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  or  by  simple 
figure  i  which  explained  themselves.  But  he  had  now  reached 
apoin'  in  his  ministry  at  which  he  had  to  deal  with  the  deeper 
things  of  his  kingdom.  These  were  so  strange  to  the  Jews,  so 
unlike  all  their  ideas  and  expectations,  that  he  had  to  adopt 
a  method  of  instruction  that  might  conciliate,  and  provoke 
refection,  and  gradually  make  a -/way  to  their  minds  for  new 
truth. 

3.  the  sower.     The  things  on  wihich  his  eye  could  rest  as  he 


i58  ST.  MARK  4.  4-9 

4  to  sow :  and  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  sowed,  some  seed  fell 
by  the  way  side,  and  the  birds  came  and  devoured  it. 

5  And  other  fell  on  the  rocky  ground,  where  it  had  not 
much  earth ;    and  straightway  it  sprang  up,  because  it 

6  had  no  deepness  of  earth :  and  when  the  sun  was  risen, 
it  was  scorched ;  and  because  it  had  no  root,  it  withered 

7  away.     And  other  fell  among  the  thorns,  and  the  thorns 
S  grew  up,  and  choked  it,  and  it  yielded  no  fruit.     And 

others   fell   into   the   good   ground,    a   i   yielded   fruit, 
growing  up  and  increasing ;  and  brought  forth,  thirtyfold, 
9  and  sixtyfold,  and  a  hundredfold.     And  he  said,  Who 
hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

sat  there  in  the  boat— the  sea,  the  cornfields,  the  soils  of  different 
kinds,  the  beaten  pathway,  the  intertwining  thorns,  the  flocks 
of  birds,  would  suggest  the  similitudes. 

went   forth:    those  who   tilled    the  soil'T>   ed    together   in 
„  townships  or  villages,  and  'went  forth'  to  do  their  day's  work  in 
the  fields. 

4.  the  way  side:  the  path  by  the  field  or  passing  through  it, 
beaten  by  the  tread  of  many  feet  and  incapab'e  of  receiving 
the  seed. 

5.  rocky  ground:  that  is  (cf.  Luke's  'on  the  fock')i  not  soil 
merely  mixed  with  stones,  but  solid  rock  thinly  "vered  with 
soil.  The  seed  might  penetrate  a  little  way,  but  could  have  no 
depth  of  root  and  would  speedily  be  scorched. 

*7.  among-  the  thorns:  in  Matthew,  'upon  the  thon.  /  that  is,  on 
thorny  ground.  Thorns,  the  ndbk  of  the  Arabs,  are  a.  abundant 
crop  in  Syria.  They  look  like  the  grain,  and  grow  with  it,  but 
only  to  discover  at  last  their  deadly  nature,  and  choke  the  wheat 
when  it  should  yield  its  increase. 

8.  thirtyfold,  and  sixtyfold,  and  a  hundredfold.  Matthew 
begins  with  the  highest  degree  of  fruitfulness  and  goes'down  the 
scale.  Luke  says  simply  '  a  hundredfold.'  Writers,  both  uicient 
and  modern,  speak  of  the  extraordinary  fertility  of  EasteV'i  soil 
(cf.  Gen.  xxvi.  12),  and  not  least  of  that  of  Galilee.  Of  the 
Plain  of  Gennesaret  Dr.  Robinsom  says,  'its  fertility  can  ha  ■•  be 
exceeded '  (Bib.  Researches,  iii.  285). 

The  soils,  therefore,  have  respectively  the  qualities  of  hardness, 
thinness,  foulness,  and  goodness.  The  seed  will  have  fortunes  cor- 
responding to  the  soils.  In  /one  case  it  does  not  spring  at  all; 
in  the  second  it  springs  bub  to  wither;   in  the  third  it  spnngs 


ST.  MARK  4.  10-12  159 

And  when  he  was  alone,  they  that  were  about  him  10 
with  the  twelve  asked  of  him  the  parables.      And  he  11 
said  unto  them,  Unto  you  is  given  the  mystery  of  the 
kingdom  of  God :    but  unto  them  that  are  without,  all 
things  are  done  in  parables:  that  seeing  they  may  see,  12 

and  grov.  s,  but  yields  nothing  ;  in  the  fourth  it  comes  to  maturity, 
and  to  an  increase  varying  in  measure  according  to  the  different 
degrees  of  the  soil's  softness,  depth,  and  purity. 

9.  Wl'o  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear:  solemn  words 
rcportea  by  all  three  Synoptists  here;  spoken  also  in  connexion 
with  the  sayings  recorded  in  Matt.  xi.  15,  xiii.  43  ;  Mark  iv.  23  ; 
Luke  xiv.  35  They  do  not  occur  in  John's  Gospel  ;  but  in  the 
Apocalypse  they  appear  eight  times. 

iv.  io  jo.  Explanation  of  the  Payable;  cf.  Matt.  xiii.  10-23; 
Luke  viri.  9-15. 

10.  they  that  were  about  him  with  the  twelve  asked  of 
him.  Tlu  cleaning  of  the  parable  was  not  clear  even  to  the 
disciples  and  the  Twelve,  far  less  to  others.  When  he  has  finished 
his  teachu  t;  lor  the  time  and  'Jie  crowd  is  gone,  he  explains  things 
in  private.  He  does  this  in  response  to  a  request  made  by  his 
disciples  (L  uke  viii.  9). 

11.  the    uystery.     By  this  is  meant  a  secret  thajt  is  told  or  is 
destined  to  I     told  ;  in  that  sense  the  gospel  {Rom.  xvi.  25  ;  1  Cor. 
ii.  1,  7),  or  some  particular  part  or  truth  of  it,  e.g.  the  calling  of"^ 
the  Gentf        Eph.  iii.  3),  the  change  at  the  Resurrection  (1  Cor. 
xv.  51),  is  s     mystery.' 

them  t.'iat  are  without.  Those  outside  the  circle  of  the 
disciples.      .>!ark  alone  gives  this  phrase. 

all  things  are  done  in  parables.  Parabolic  teaching  serves 
more  than  >ne  good  purpose.  It  conciliates  attention;  it  wins 
a  place  for  strange  or  unwelcome  truths  in  the  mind  ;  it  illumines 
and  illustrates;  it  helps  the  memory  and  stimulates  reflection; 
it  guards  the  life  of  truth  until  it  can  be  received.  But  it  has  also 
another  j»'e".  It  is.  as  Matthew  Henry  puts  it,  a  'shell  that  keeps 
good  fifuflt  for  the  diligent,  but  keeps  it  from  the  slothful.'  It  is 
this  r,<":>al  object  or  result  that  is  in  view  here. 

12.  iat  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not  perceive.  Our  Lord 
here  nakes  use  of  certain  words  of  the  O.  T.  (Isa.  vi.  10  which 
?,■■  •  epcatedly  in  the  N.  T.  (cf.  John  xii.  40  ;  Acts  xxviii.  26), 
and  Much  speak  of  a  blindness  that  comes  on  the  people  as  the 
pen  ly  of  their  grossness  and  the  hardening  of  their  minds.  He 
app  ?s  these  words  to  the  case  of  those  who  crowded  him  and 
yet    vere  '  without.'     He  spoke  as  he  did  to  the  dull  and  carnal 


160  ST.  MARK  4.  13-18 

and  not  perceive;  and  hearing  they  may  hear,  and  not 
understand ;   lest  haply  they  should  turn  again,  and  it 

13  should  be  forgiven  them.  And  he  saith  unto  them, 
Know  ye  not  this  parable?  and  how  shall  ye  know  all 
14, 15  the  parables  ?  The  sower  soweth  the  word.  And  these 
are  they  by  the  way  side,  where  the  word  is  sown :  and 
when  they  have  heard,  straightway  cometh  Satan,  and 
taketh  away  the  word  which  hath  been  sown  in  them, 

16  And  these  in  like  manner  are  they  that  are  sown  upon 
the  rocky  places,  who,  when  they  have  heard  the  word, 

1  $•  straightway  receive  it  with  joy ;  and  they  have  no  root 
in  themselves,  but  endure  for  a  while;  then,  when 
tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth  because  of  the  word, 

18  straightway  they  stumble.  And  others  are  they  that  are 
sown  among  the  thorns ;  these_  are  they  that  have  heard 

1  because  seeing  they  see  not'  (Ivlatti  xiii.  13).  So  in  Matthew  it  is 
expressed  as  result.  But  in  Markups  words  are  give?1  in  terms  of 
purpose — l  tl\at  seeing  they  may  sed  and  not  perceive.'  For  with 
God  result  is, also  purpose.  This  solemn  and  difficult  saying  touches 
one  of  the  sovereign  laws  of  the  kingdom  of  God — the  fact  that, 
in  the  Divine  order  and  in  the  nature  of  things,  refusal  t;o  receive 
the  truth  issues  in  inability  to  see  the  truth.  The  love  of  darkness 
has  for  its  penalty  ultimate  insensibility  to  the  light. 

13.  Know  ye  not  this  parable?  The  parable  had  its  occasion 
in  the  moral  condition  of  the  disciples.  It  was  intended  to  free 
them  from  those  mistaken,  unspiritual  anticipations  of  'ms  kingdom, 
which  stood  in  the  way  of  their  understanding  his  teaching,  and  to 
help  them  to  see  that  that  kingdom  was  to  come  not  immediately 
and  by  power,  but  by  means  of  a  Divine  message  which  required 
time  to  do  its  work. 

14.  soweth  the  word.  The  great  subject  of  the  pan.ble,  there- 
fore, is  the  word;  this  Divine  message  which  he  brough  to  men, 
the  conditions  of  its  efficiency,  and  the  reception  it  was  t     have. 

15.  the  way  side:  a  figure  of  the  spiritually  obtuse. ,  or  the 
hearer  whose  ear  is  reached  but  not  his  heart,  who  is  as  if  the 
word  had  never  come  to  hjim. 

.   16.  the    rocky   places.:1     So   is  it  with    the    impulsive,  :ady 

hearer  who  receives  the  word,  but  in  a  way  so  superficial  tl  t  he 
goes  down  at  once  before  trial. 

18.  among  the  thorns.     A  third  type  of  mind,  sympatic,  c  to 


ST.  MARK  4.  19-25  161 

the  word,  and  the  cares  of  the  world,  and  the  deceitful-  19 
ness  of  riches,  and  the  lusts  of  other  things  entering  in, 
choke  the  word,  and  it  becometh  unfruitful.     And  those  20 
are  they  that  were  sown  upon  the  good  ground ;  such  as 
hear  the  word,  and  accept  it,  and  bear  fruit,  thirtyfold, 
and  sixty  fold,  and  a  hundredfold. 

And  he  said  unto  them,  Is  the  lamp  brought  to  be  21 
put  under  the  bushel,  or  under  the  bed,  and  not  to  be 
put  on  the  stand?     For  there  is  nothing  hid,  save  that  22 
it  should  be   manifested ;    neither  was  anything  made 
secret,  but  that  it  should  come  to  light.     If  any  man  23 
hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.    And  he  said  unto  them,  24 
Take  heed  what  ye  hear :    with  what  measure  ye  mete 
it  shall  be  measured  unto  you  :  and  more  shall  be  given 
unto  you.     For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given :  25 

the  message  and  going  far  with  it,  but  divided  between  God  and 
the  world,  and  so  becoming  '  unfruitful ' — reaching  nothing  worthy 
in  life  or  in  service. 

20.  the  good  ground.  The  mind  that  '  takes  in '  the  word, 
keeps  it,  and  submits  itself  to  its  spiritual  work,  and  so  obtains, 
in  smaller  or  larger  measure,  the  good  of  life  and  the  power  of 
service. 

iv.  21-25.      The  Responsibility  of  Hearing ;  cf.  Luke  viii.  16-18. 

21.  the  lamp.  The  kind  of  lamp  no  doubt  that  might  be  seen 
in  any  humble  Galilean  house,  a  simple  earthenware  saucer, 
perhaps,  with  wick  and  oil. 

22.  that  it  should  be  manifested.  As  a  lamp  is  given  not 
in  order  to  be  covered,  but  that  it  may  give  light,  so  the  word 
is  given  by  Christ  to  the  disciples  not  that  they  may  keep  it  for 
themselves,  but  that  they  may  impart  it  to  others.  The  explana- 
tion is  offered  perhaps  with  a  view  to  the  '  mystery '  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  The  things  of  that  kingdom  are  mysteries,  but 
they  are  n  sunderstood  if  they  are  taken  to  be  secrets  meant  to 
remain  a  tret. 

24.  Take  heed  what  ye  hear.  The  importance  of  right  hearing 
is  seen  id  this — that  the  measure  of  attainment  in  this  matter  of 
knowing  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  will  be  the  measure  of  the 
attent  iven  to  the  word. 

25.  >e  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given.      Another  of  the 

M 


i62  ST.  MARK  4.  26-29 

and  he  that  hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  away 
even  that  which  he  hath. 

26  And  he  said,  So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a  man 

27  should  cast  seed  upon  the  earth ;  and  should  sleep  and 
rise  night  and  day,  and  the  seed  should  spring  up  and 

28  grow,   he  knoweth  not  how.     The  earth  beareth  fruit 
of  herself;    first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  full 

29  corn  in  the  ear.     But  when  the  fruit  is  ripe,  straightway 
he  putteth  forth  the  sickle,  because  the  harvest  is  come. 

great  laws  of  the  kingdom.  Knowledge  adds  to  knowledge.  The 
due  exercise  of  the  gift  of  insight  into  truth  leads  to  larger  insight, 
while  neglect  of  gift  leads  to  loss  of  gift. 

iv.  26-29.  Parable  of  the  Fruit-bearing  Earth.  One  of  the  three 
parables  which  speak  of  the  things  of  the  kingdom  in  terms  of  a 
sower's  work;  akin  to  those  of  the  sower  and  the  tares,  but  with 
a  distinct  purpose,  and  illustrating  a  different  aspect  of  the  king- 
dom.    It  is  peculiar  to  Mark. 

27.  and  rise  night  and  day.  The  picture  is  that  of  a  farmer 
who,  having  done  the  work  of  sowing  which  belongs  to  him  to  do, 
goes  about  in  the  ordinary  way  of  life,  and  attempts  nothing 
further,  but  patiently  and  hopefully  leaves  the  seed  to  the  action 
of  the  forces  in  the  earth. 

28.  The  earth  beareth  fruit  of  herself.  The  heart  of  the 
parable  is  here,  in  the  spontaneous  action  of  the  earth.  While 
the  man  waits,  the  seed  is  passing  through  changes  which  are 
independent  of  his  action,  and  are  due  to  the  unconstrained  and 
unaided  operation  of  the  forces  stored  in  the  soil. 

first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 
These  hidden  forces  work  not  only  surely  and  effectively,  but 
regularly,  carrying  the  seed  without  fail  through  the  orderly 
development  of  blade,  ear,  and  full  corn. 

29.  when  the  fruit  is  ripe :  or,  '  alloweth.'  Only  at  the  end 
has  the  farmer  his  time  again.  At  last  the  seed  returns  to  him  as 
the  ripe  grain  which  it  is  for  him  to  gather.  All  through  the 
interval  things  have  gone  on  in  ways  unknown  to  him,  by  the 
operation  of  powers  hidden  from  him  and  uncontrolled  by  him. 

The  parable  is  best  described  as  that  of  the  fruit-bearing  rarth. 
It  represents  the  kingdom  of  God  indeed  as  a  thing  that  grows 
silently  and  by  successive  orderly  stages.  But  neither  the  secrecy 
nor  the  gradual,  regulated  method  of  increase  is  the  immediate 
~point  here.  It  is  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  a  spiritual  thing 
introduced  into  the  world,  working  in  quiet  and  withe         :aste 


ST.  MARK  4.  30-32  163 

And  he  said,   How  shall  we  liken  the   kingdom  of  30 
God  ?  or  in  what  parable  shall  we  set  it  forth  ?     It  is  31 
like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which,  when  it  is  sown 
upon  the  earth,  though  it  be  less  than  all  the  seeds 
that  are  upon  the  earth,  yet  when  it  is  sown,  groweth  32 
up,  and  becometh  greater  than  all  the  herbs,  and  putteth 
out  great  branches ;  so  that  the  birds  of  the  heaven  can 
lodge  under  the  shadow  thereof. 

through  the  moral  forces  deposited  in  human  life  and  society,  and 
moving  on  to  its  assured  end  by  laws  of  its  own.  This  is  a  word, 
therefore,  of  encouragement.  The  Parable  of  the  Sower  spoke  of 
disappointments  and  failures  due  to  the  nature  of  the  soil  in  which 
the  seed  is  committed.  This  one  speaks  of  hidden  forces  beyond 
our  knowledge  or  control,  which  secure  the  growth  of  the  seed, 
when  once  it  is  fitly  sown,  and  make  it  certain  of  increase. 

iv.  30-32.  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed :  cf.  Matt.  xiii.  31,  32  ; 
Luke  xiii.  18,  19. 

31.  mustard  seed.  Never  mentioned  in  the  O.  T.  In  the  N.  T. 
it  occurs  thrice  on  the  lips  of  Christ,  and  always  in  respect  of  its 
smallness,  viz.  here  (with  the  parallels  in  Matthew  and  Luke),  in 
Matt.  xvii.  20,  and  Luke  xvii.  6.  No  doubt  the  common  mustard- 
plant  is  meant ;  not,  as  some  have  supposed,  the  tree  known  as  the 
khardal, which  is  said  to  grow  as  high  as  twenty-five  feet.  For 
that  tree  does  not  appear  to  have  been  known  in  the  districts 
in  which  Jesus  was  teaching. 

less  than  all  the  seeds :  that  is,  than  those  familiar  to  the 
Jews  of  these  parts  and  wont  to  be  handled  by  them. 

32.  greater  than  all  the  herbs:  that  is,  than  all  that  had  a  place 
in  a  Jew's  garden.  In  hot  countries  the  mustard  (one  of  the  tiniest 
of  seeds)  grew  to  a  great  size,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high — as  tall,  we 
are  told,  as  a  horse  and  his  rider. 

birds  of  the  heaven  can  lodge.  Not  for  nesting,  but  rather 
for  resting  and  for  devouring  the  seeds.  Birds  are  said  to  have 
a  special  favour  for  the  mustard  and  its  branches. 

The  point  of  the  parable  is  in  the  contrast  between  the  diminutive 
seed  and  the  great  increase.  It  is  a  word  of  hope,  needed  by  the 
disciples  and  opportunely  spoken.  The  kingdom  of  God  as  they 
now  saw  it  was  so  unlike  what  they  looked  for,  and  so  insignificant 
in  its  first  appearance,  as  to  suggest  gloomy  anticipations.  This 
parable  was  spoken  to  correct  that  mood  of  mind,  and  give  the 
assurance  of  a  mighty  future,  notwithstanding  the  small  and 
obscure  beginning.     The  kingdom  would  yet  cover  the  earth  and 

M    2 


164  ST.  MARK  4.  33-36 

33  And  with  many  such  parables  spake  he  the  word  unto 

34  them,  as  they  were  able  to  hear  it :  and  without  a  parable 
spake  he  not  unto  them :  but  privately  to  his  own 
disciples  he  expounded  all  things. 

35  And  on  that  day,   when   even   was   come,    he   saith 

36  unto  them,  Let  us  go  over  unto  the  other  side.  And 
leaving  the  multitude,  they  take  him  with  them,  even 

embrace  the  nations  (cf.  Ezek.  xxxi.  6,  12).  The  growth  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  had  already  been  set  forth  in  the  O.  T.  under  the 
image  of  a  tree  (Ezek.  iv.  10-12,  xvii.  22,  24,  xxxi.  3-9  ;  Dan.  iv. 
10-12). 

iv.  33-34.  Method  and  Principle  of  Christ's  Teaching:  cf.  Matt, 
xiii.  34,  35. 

33.  many  such  parables.  It  is  but  a  selection,  therefore,  that 
is  given  by  Mark. 

as  they  were  able  to  hear  it.  Jesus  taught  with  a  wise 
adaptation  to  the  capacities  of  his  hearers,  beginning  with  the 
simpler  questions  of  duty,  proceeding  to  the  deeper  things  of  his 
kingdom,  and  unfolding  these  latter  gradually.  Cf.  John  xvi.  12. 
The  Apostles  taught  on  the  same  principle  :  cf.  1  Cor.  iii.  2  ;  Heb. 
v.  12,  xii.  20. 

34.  without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto  them.  We  do  not 
need,  however,  to  take  this  to  mean  that  he  limited  himself  to 
the  parabolic  form  of  teaching  on  all  occasions  hereafter. 

expounded.  The  word  is  used  of  the  interpreting  of  dreams 
(Gen.  xl.  8,  xli.  8,  12),  and  also  of  the  deciding  of  questions 
(Acts  xix.  39).  It  was  our  Lord's  stated  practice,  therefore, 
to  open  up  to  his  disciples,  when  they  were  alone,  the  meaning 
of  the  parables  he  had  spoken  to  the  people  generally.  Matthew 
finds  a  fulfilment  of  Ps.  lxxviii.  2  in  this  habitual  use  of  parabolic 
address  (ch.  xiii.  14  . 

*v-  35~4I-  The  Stilling  of  the  Storm :  cf.  Matt.  viii.  23-27  ; 
Luke  viii.  22-25.  Luke  agrees  with  Mark  in  introducing  this 
incident  immediately  after  these  parables.  In  all  three  Synoptists 
it  is  followed  immediately  by  the  story  of  the  Gadarene  demoniac. 

35.  on  that  day.  Mark's  note  of  time  is  very  definite.  Luke 
says  simply  'on  one  of  those  days.' 

when  even  was  come.  At  the  close,  therefore,  of  an  ex- 
hausting day's  work  he  proposes  to  cross  to  the  other  side,  no 
doubt  with  a  view  to  be  free  of  the  crowd  and  obtain  rest. 

36.  take  him.  Said  appropriately  of  the  disciples,  as  being  in 
charge  of  the  boat. 


ST.   MARK    4.  37-39  165 

as  he  was,   in   the  boat.     And  other  boats  were   with 
him.     And    there   ariseth    a   great  storm   of  wind,  and  37 
the  waves  beat  into  the  boat,  insomuch  that  the  boat 
was    now   filling.     And   he   himself  was   in   the   stern,  38 
asleep  on  the  cushion  :    and  they  awake  him,  and  say 
unto  him,  Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we  perish  ?     And  39 
he  awoke,  and  rebuked  the  wind,  and  said  unto  the 
sea,  Peace,  be  still.     And  the  wind  ceased,  and  there 


as  he  was :  without  attempting  any  change  or  making  any 
further  provision  for  him.  He  was  in  the  boat,  and  they  start  at 
once. 

other  boats.  This  is  noticed  only  by  Mark.  They  set  out, 
probably,  in  eagerness  to  follow  him.  Nothing  is  told  us  of  their 
fate. 

37.  ariseth  a  great  storm  of  wind.  Luke's  description  is 
peculiarly  true  to  nature — '  there  came  down  a  storm  of  wind  on 
the  lake.'  It  was  one  of  those  sudden,  fierce  winds  that  sweep 
down  from  the  heights  upon  the  deep-set  lake,  through  the  great 
rifts  that  open  out  on  the  shore. 

now  filling* :  not  '  was  now  full.'  as  in  the  A.  V.  The  waves, 
driven  with  sudden  violence,  began  to  fill  the  boat. 

38.  he  himself:  contrasting  his  tranquil  slumber  with  the 
tumult  raging  about  him. 

in  the  stern,  asleep  on  the  cushion.  This  picture  of  his 
position  is  given  by  Mark  alone.  Matthew  and  Luke  mention  only 
his  sleeping.  '  In  the  stern  ' — where  he  could  rest,  out  of  the  way 
of  those  handling  the  boat.  '  Asleep  ' — because  weary,  like  one  of 
ourselves,  and  needing  rest ;  so  fast  asleep,  too,  as  to  be  unconscious 
of  the  tempest.  This  is  the  only  occasion  on  which  the  Gospels 
directly  ascribe  sleep  to  him.  '  The  cushion  ' — a  pillow,  or  perhaps 
the  leather  seat  of  steersman  or  rower. 

they  awake  him :  fear  rendering  them  unable  any  longer  to 
forbear. 

Master:  properly  '  teacher,'  '  Rabbi.' 

carest  thou  not?  An  appeal  with  a  touch  of  reproach  in  it, 
which  does  not  appear  in  Matthew  or  in  Luke. 

39.  And  he  awoke.  What  the  noise  of  wind  and  wave  did  not 
do,  is  done  at  once  by  the  call  of  the  disciples. 

rebuked.  All  three  Synoptists  notice  the  fact :  Mark  alone 
gives  the  terms  of  the  command  addressed  to  the  sea. 

be  still  :  lit.  '  be  muzzled,'  as  if  the  sea  were  a  raging, 
roaring  bca3t.     The  form  of  the  word,  too,  means  'be  still  forth- 


166  ST.  MARK  4.  40— 5.  2 

40  was  a  great  calm.      And  he  said  unto  them,  Why  -re 

41  ye  fearful?  have  ye  not  yet  faith?  And  they  feared 
exceedingly,  and  said  one  to  another,  Who  then  is 
this,  that  even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him? 

5      And  they  came  to  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  into 
2  the   country   of   the   Gerasenes.      And   when    he    was 

with  and   remain  so.'     With  reference  to  the  shrieking  winds — 
'  Peace ' ;  with  reference  to  the  rushing  waves — '  be  still.' 

ceased :  a  picturesque  word,  expressing  cessation  from  tiring 
toil  and  trouble.  The  lake  sank  back  forthwith,  like  an  exhausted 
creature,  into  motionless  repose. 
-^  40.  lie  said  unto  them.  He  had  to  rebuke  the  disciples  as  well 
as  the  winds  and  waves.  In  Matthew  the  order  is  reversed,  and 
the  chiding  of  the  disciples  precedes  the  stilling  of  the  raging 
elements. 

fearful.     Courage  fled  because  their  trust  failed. 

have  ye  not  yet  faith  ?  '  Not  yet ' — after  all  they  had  seen 
in  these  many  days  of  association  with  him.  Luke  puts  it, '  Where 
is  your  faith  ? '  They  had  it  in  a  measure,  but  it  was  not  at  hand 
then  when  they  needed  it. 

41.  feared  exceedingly.  They  are  mastered  now  by  a  different 
kind  of  fear — not  weak  timidity,  but  wholesome  awe. 

Who  then  is  this?  New  questions  spring  to  their  lips, 
indicating  how  profoundly  they  are  moved.  A  greater  impression 
is  made  upon  them  by  this  work  than  by  any  other  they  have 
yet  witnessed.  It  came  home  to  themselves  and  concerned  those 
uncontrollable  forces  of  nature  which  put  their  awe  on  fisher- 
folk  like  them.  To  them  it  meant  more  than  even  the  rebuke 
of  demons  (i.  27). 

v.  1-20.  The  Gerasene  Demoniac :  cf.  Matt.  viii.  28-32  ;  Lukeviii. 
26-33.  ?he  three  S3>-noptists  agree  in  bringing  the  incidents  of 
the  Gerasene  or  Gadarene  demoniac,  the  woman  with  the  issue, 
and  the  daughter  of  Jai'rus  together  in  their  narratives.  Mark  and 
Luke  do  this  more  completely  than  Matthew.  These  incidents  are 
placed  by  Matthew,  however,  in  a  different  relation  to  other  events 
from  that  which  they  have  in  Mark  and  Luke.  In  the  First  Gospel 
the  healing  of  this  demoniac  and  the  stilling  of  the  storm  which 
it  follows  are  introduced  after  the  restoration  of  Peter's  mother- 
in-law  and  the  incidents  of  the  scribe  and  the  disciple. 

1.  the  other  side  of  the  sea:  that  is,  the  eastern  side. 
the  country  of  the  Gerasenes.    The  question  of  the  locality 
is  one  of  great  difficulty,  in  respect  both  of  topography  and  of 
variation  in  the  text.     The  ancient  MSS.  differ  greatly  in  all  the 


ST.  MARK  5.  3,4  167 

come  out  of  the  boat,  straightway  there  met  him  out 
of  the  tombs  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit,  who  had  3 
his  dwelling   in   the   tombs :    and   no   man  could   any 
more  bind  him,   no,   not  with  a  chain ;    because  that  4 
he    had    been   often    bound   with    fetters    and   chains, 
and  the  chains  had  been   rent   asunder   by  him,   and 

three  Synoptical  Gospels,  and  they  differ  in  such  a  way  as  to  point 
to  a  different  designation  of  the  place  in  each  of  the  three.  The 
evidence  is  in  favour  of  '  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes '  as  the 
reading  of  Matthew;  'the  country  of"  the  Gerasenes'  as  that  of 
Mark;  'the  country  of  the  Gergesenes''  as  that  of  Luke,  though 
the  R.  V.  prefers  '  Gerasenes  '  in  Luke  as  well  as  in  Mark.  It  is 
possible  that  Gerasenes  and  Gergesenes  are  different  pronunciations 
of  the  same  word  or  a  copyist's  confusion  of  one  with  the  other. 
What  then  is  the  place  in  view?  It  cannot  be  the  Gerasa  in 
Gilead,  which  is  identified  with  Jerash  ;  for  that  is  some  twenty 
miles  east  of  the  Jordan.  Nor  can  it  well  be  the  Gadara  which 
Matthew's  reading  might  suggest,  and  which  is  identified  with 
Um-Keiss ;  for  that  was  at  least  six  miles  south  of  the  lake,  and 
was  separated  by  a  deep  gorge  from  the  plain  sloping  down  to 
the  lake.  The  conditions  of  the  narrative  are  best  fulfilled  by 
a  certain  Khersa  or  Gcrsa,  the  ruins  of  which  remain,  occupying 
a  site  sufficiently  near  the  sea,  shewing  traces  of  tombs,  and 
within  about  a  mile  of  the  point  at  which  the  hills  descend  by 
a  steep,  even  slope  to  within  forty  feet  of  the  water's  edge.  The 
district  known  as  '  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes '  may  have 
extended  to  the  lake,  and  so  have  included  this  &  hersa. 

2.  straightway  there  met  him :  not  evefi  in  this  remote 
locality  was  there  rest  for  him.  No  sooner  is  he  on  shore  than 
there  is  a  call  upon  his  grace.  Matthew  speaks  of  '  two  possessed 
with  devils.'     Mark  and  Luke  notice  only  one. 

3.  tombs.  The  man  had  his  dwelling  in  these,  and  now  came 
from  them.  They  were  sometimes  built  above  ground,  oftener 
perhaps  they  were  caves  in  the  rocks,  natural  or  excavated.  To 
touch  a  dead  body  or  a  grave  was  to  become  unclean,  according 
to  the  Jewish  Law  (Num.  xix.  11,  16). 

no  man  could  any  more  bind  him.  To  such  a  pass  had  it 
come  with  him  that  he  was  now  beyond  all  restraint.  Not  even 
fetters  could  hold  him. 

4.  because  that  he  had  been  often  bound.  Trial  had  been 
made  both  with  fetters  and  with  manacles,  but  to  no  purpose. 

rent  asunder  .  .  .  broken  in  pieces.  A  vivid  description  of 
untameable,  frenzied  strength,  tearing  chains  in  bits  and  '  crushing 
fetters  '  like  so  much  pottery. 


168  ST.  MARK  5.  5-9 

the  fetters  broken  in  pieces  :  and  no  man  had  strength 

5  to  tame  him.  And  always,  night  and  day,  in  the  tombs 
and  in  the  mountains,  he  was  crying  out,  and  cutting 

6  himself  with  stones.     And  when  he  saw  Jesus  from  afar, 

7  he  ran  and  worshipped  him  ;  and  crying  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  he  saith,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus, 
thou  Son  of  the  Most  High  God?     I  adjure  thee  by 

8  God,  torment  me  not.     For  he  said  unto  him,  Come 

9  forth,  thou  unclean  spirit,  out  of  the  man.  And  he 
asked   him,    What   is   thy  name?     And  he  saith  unto 


5.  crying  out,  and  cutting  himself.  Each  of  the  Evangelists 
adds  something  to  the  picture  of  the  terror  of  the  man's  condition. 
Matthew  notes  that  he  made  the  way  impassable  ;  Mark  that  he 
cried  and  cut  himself  in  his  fury  ;  Luke  that  '  for  a  long  time  he 
had  worn  no  clothes.' 

6.  from  afar.     A  touch  peculiar  to  Mark. 

ran  and  worshipped  him.  From  a  distance  catching  sight  of 
Jesus,  he  comes  bounding  on  in  his  fierce  madness,  but  when  he 
draws  near  him  his  mood  changes  and  he  prostrates  himself 
in  awe. 

7.  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee?  There  is  here  the  same 
repudiation  of  anything  in  common  with  Jesus  as  in  the  previous 
case  in  i.  23. 

Son  of  the  VIost  High  God.  In  the  former  case  Jesus  was 
addressed  as  ftne  Holy  One  of  God.'  Here  his  Messiahship  is 
confessed  as  a  Divine  Sonship,  and  the  God  to  whom  he  is  said 
to  be  in  that  relation  of  Sonship  is  designated  by  a  peculiar  O.  T. 
name.  It  is  a  name  that  goes  back  to  the  oldest  stages  of  Hebrew 
faith  and  worship,  while  it  is  used  also  in  the  Poetic  and  Prophetic 
books.  See  such  passages  as  Gen.  xiv.  18,  &c.  ;  Num.  xxiv.  16 
(Balaam's  prophecy)  ;  Deut.  xxxii.  8;  Ps.  xviii.  13,  xxi.  7,  xlvi.  4, 
1.  14.  lxxvii.  10,  lxxviii.  17,  xci.  1,  9,  &c.  ;  Isa.  xiv.  14.  It  is 
a  note  of  the  supremacy  of  God.  In  the  N.  T.  it  is  most  frequent 
in  Luke. 

torment  me  not.  Matthew  puts  it  in  the  form  of  a  question 
and  as  if  the  torment  were  a  thing  anticipated,  but  a  penalty  of 
the  future  fulfilling  itself  too  soon  if  it  came  now — 'Art  thou 
come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the  tittiel"1  Mark  alone  gives  the 
adjuration. 

9.  What  is  thy  name  ?  The  question  is  put  perhaps  to  clear 
the  man's  mind  and  bring  matters  to  the  point.     The  confusion  of 


ST.  MARK   5.   10-13  169 

him,  My  name  is  Legion ;  for  we  are  many.  And  he  10 
besought  him  much  that  he  would  not  send  them  away 
out  of  the  country.  Now  there  was  there  on  the  moun-  n 
tain  side  a  great  herd  of  swine  feeding.  And  they  12 
besought  him,  saying,  Send  us  into  the  swrine,  that  we 
may  enter  into  them.  And  he  gave  them  leave.  And  13 
the   unclean   spirits   came   out,    and   entered    into    the 

consciousness  is  seen  in  the  mixed,  contradictory  utterances,  now 
human  and  now  demoniac. 

Legion  :  the  name  of  a  division  of  the  Roman  army,  number- 
ing 4,000.  5,000,  or  6,000  men,  and  making  one  of  the  most 
tremendous  instruments  ever  handled  by  the  captains  of  war.  In 
applying  this  name  to  himself  the  possessed  man  appealed  to 
Christ's  pity.  It  meant  that  he  was  miserable  and  helpless  in  the 
grasp  of  the  most  terrible,  resistless,  and  harassing  of  evil  forces — 
a  sufferer  from  a  demoniac  power  which  was  not  one  indeed,  but 
the  aggregate  of  many. 

10.  out  of  the  country.  This  no  doubt  means  out  of  this 
Gerasene  territory  with  which  they  were  familiar.  But  in  Luke 
the  request  is  that  Jesus  should  not  command  them  to  '  depart  into 
the  abyss'  ;  which  may  mean  the  deep  waters  there  before  them, 
or  rather  the  place  of  torment  in  the  nether  world. 

11.  a  great  herd  of  swine.  Mark  alone  gives  the  number, 
'about  two  thousand.1  It  is  not  stated  whether  the  herd  was  the 
property  of  Gentiles  or  of  Jews.  It  is  not  clear  to  what  extent, 
if  to  any.  the  keeping  of  swine  prevailed  among  the  Jews  of  our 
Lord's  time  ;  but  through  most  of  their  history  they  seem  to  have 
avoided  it.  The  eating  of  swine's  flesh  was  forbidden  by  the  Law 
(Lev.  xi.  7  ;  Deut.  xiv.  8).  The  flesh  and  blood  of  swine  are 
regarded  by  the  O.  T.  as  heathen  offerings,  offerings  of  abomination 
(Isa.  lxv.  4,  lxvi.  3.  17  ;  cf.  1  Mace.  i.  47. 

13.  gave  them  leave.  With  reference  to  the  loss  that  ensued 
and  the  difficulty  supposed  to  be  created  by  the  destruction  of 
property,  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  Christ's  word  did  not  go  beyond 
permission.  'Those  who  measure  rightly  the  value  of  a  human 
spirit  thus  restored  to  itself,  to  its  fellow  men,  and  to  God,'  says 
Dr.  Plumptre,  '  will  not  think  that  the  destruction  of  brute-life  was 
too  dear  a  price  to  pay  for  its  restoration.'  It  may  be,  too,  that 
in  the  sufferer's  mental  condition,  and  in  order  to  his  perfect 
recovery  of  the  calm  and  clearness  of  the  normal,  undivided  con- 
sciousness, it  was  necessary  that  he  should  have  some  unmistak- 
able, visible  evidence  of  hio  deliverance  from  the  malign  powers 
enthralling  him. 


170  ST.  MARK  5.  14-16 

swine :    and  the  herd  rushed  down  the  steep  into  the 
sea,    in   number  about  two  thousand  ;    and  they  were 

14  choked  in  the  sea.  And  they  that  fed  them  fled,  and 
told  it  in  the  city,  and  in  the  country.     And  they  came 

15  to  see  what  it  was  that  had  come  to  pass.  And  they 
come  to  Jesus,  and  behold  him  that  was  possessed 
with  devils  sitting,  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind,  even 

16  him  that  had  the  legion :  and  they  were  afraid.  And 
they  that  saw  it  declared  unto  them  how  it  befell  him 
that    was    possessed   with   devils,    and   concerning  the 


the  herd  rushed  down  the  steep  into  the  sea.     '  We  are 

told,'  says  the  author  of  The  Rob  Roy  on  the  Jordan  (p.  411),  '  that 
the  whole  herd  of  swine  ran  violently  down  a  steep  place.  Liter- 
ally it  is  "down  the  steep"  in  all  three  reports.  It  does  not  say 
that  it  was  a  high  place,  but  steep,  and  that  they  ran  (not  fell) 
down  this  into  the  sea.  There  are  several  steeps  near  the  sea 
here,  but  only  one  so  close  to  the  water  as  to  make  it  sure  that  if 
a  herd  ran  violently  down  they  would  go  into  the  sea.  Here, 
for  a  full  half-mile,  the  beach  is  of  a  form  different  from  any  other 
round  the  lake,  and  from  any  that  I  have  noticed  in  any  lake  or 
sea  before.  It  is  flat  until  close  to  the  edge.  There  a  hedge  of 
oleanders  fringes  the  end  of  the  plain,  and  immediately  below 
these  is  a  gravel  beach  inclined  so  steep  that  when  my  boat  was 
at  the  shore  I  could  not  see  over  the  top  even  by  standing  up  ; 
while  the  water  alongside  is  so  deep  that  it  covered  my  paddle 
(seven  feet  long)  when  dipped  vertically  a  few  feet  from  the  shore. 
Now  if  the  swine  rushed  along  this  short  plain  toward  this  hedge 
of  underwood  (and  in  the  delta  of  Semakh  their  usual  feeding-place 
would  be  often  among  thick  brushwood  of  this  kind)  they  would 
instantly  pass  through  the  shrubs  and  then  down  the  steep 
gravel  beyond  into  the  deep  water,  where  they  would  surely  be 
drowned.' 

14.  they  came  to  see.  These  would  be  the  people  of  the 
town  and  the  countryside,  largely  heathen.  '  The  presence  of 
these  unclean  animals,  so  abhorrent  to  the  Jews,  indicates,  what 
we  know  from  other  sources,  that  the  region  was  inhabited  by 
a  mixed  population,  in  which  Gentiles  predominated '  (Gould). 

15.  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind:  so  complete  a  trans- 
formation. Luke  states  explicitly  (which  Mark  does  not  do)  that 
in  his  demonised  condition  the  man  '  for  a  long  time  .  .  .  had 
worn  no  clothes '  (viii.  27). 


ST.  MARK  5.   17-20  171 

swine.      And   they    began   to    beseech   him   to   depart  17 
from  their  borders.      And  as  he  was  entering  into  the  18 
boat,  he  that  had  been  possessed  with  devils  besought 
him  that  he  might  be  with  him.     And  he  suffered  him  19 
not,    but   saith   unto  him,   Go   to  thy   house  unto    thy 
friends,  and  tell  them  how  great  things  the  Lord  hath 
done  for  thee,  and  Iww  he  had  mercy  on  thee.     And  20 
he  went  his  way,  and  began  to  publish  in   Decapolis 

17.  they  began  to  beseech  him  to  depart.  The  first  impression 
produced  upon  the  people  by  the  sight  of  the  restored  demoniac 
was  that  of  fear  (verse  15).  When  the  whole  story  was  told 
them  their  sense  of  awe  passed  into  anxiety  to  get  the  Healer  out 
of  their  neighbourhood.  Perhaps  they  dreaded  further  loss.  In 
no  other  case  did  a  miracle  wrought  by  Christ  have  an  effect  like 
this,  adverse  to  himself. 

18.  that  he  might  be  with  him.  The  sense  of  indebtedness 
and  gratitude  would  naturally  make  him  anxious  to  cling  to 
Jesus — perhaps  also  the  vague  fear  of  what  might  happen  if  he 
were  separated  from  the  Fount  of  healing  power. 

19.  suffered  him  not.  Jesus  had  a  higher  mission  for  him. 
He  was  to  return  to  the  home  which  he  had  exchanged  for  the 
tombs,  and  be  a  witness  there  for  the  Healer.  Cf.  the  case  of 
./Eneas,  Acts  ix.  35. 

tell  them.  In  the  case  of  the  leper  (i.  44),  and  again  in  that 
of  the  witnesses  of  the  raising  of  Jai'rus's  daughter  (v.  43),  he 
commanded  silence.  In  this  instance  he  enjoins  the  publication 
of  the  miracle.  The  reason  for  the  difference  in  this  matter  is 
not  stated.  It  may  have  lain  in  the  character  of  the  man,  or  it 
may  have  its  explanation  in  the  nature  of  the  region.  For  this 
was  Peraea,  and  in  that  remoter  district,  where  also  he  would 
be  less  known,  there  might  be  less  risk  from  publicity. 

the  Lord  :  the  O.  T.  name  for  God.  So  the  works  done  by 
Jesus  are  declared  by  him  to  be  works  done  by  God  through 
him.     Cf.  Peter's  address,  Acts  ii.  22. 

20.  in  Decapolis.  Only  Mark  mentions  the  locality  by  name. 
The  term  occurs  only  three  times  in  the  N.  T. — here,  and  in 
Matt.  iv.  25;  Mark  vii.  31.  It  means  the  region  or  confederation 
of  the  '  ten  cities.'  The  district  cannot  be  very  exactly  defined. 
Probably  its  limits  varied  somewhat  from  time  to  time,  as  the 
names  of  the  cities  also  varied.  Pliny  gives  them  as  follows  : — 
Scythopolis,  Hippos,  Gadara,  Pella,  Philadelphia,  Gerasa,  Dion, 
Canatha,  Damascus,  Raphana.  With  the  exception  of  Scythopolis 
(the  ancient  Bethshan,  modern  Bcisau)  they  seem,  therefore,  to 


172  ST.  MARK   5.  21 

how  great  things  Jesus  had  done  for  him  :  and  all  men 
did  marvel. 
21      And  when  Jesus  had  crossed  over  again  in  the  boat 
unto   the   other   side,    a   great  multitude  was  gathered 

have  been  all  east  of  the  Jordan  and  to  the  south-east  of  Galilee, 
within  Gilead  and  Bashan.  After  the  Roman  conquest  of  these 
territories  in  b.  c.  65,  the  cities  were  rebuilt  and  had  certain 
privileges  bestowed  on  them. 

all  men  did  marvel.  The  population  of  these  parts  was 
made  up  probably  of  natives,  Greek-speaking  colonists  who  had 
settled  before  the  Roman  conquest,  and  later  Roman  colonists. 
While  it  is  said  that  'all  men  did  marvel,'  it  is  not  said  that  any 
became  disciples  of  Jesus,  nor  is  it  likely  that  this  would  be  the 
case  with  men  who  were  so  wishful  that  he  should  quit  their 
district. 

v.  21-24.  The  case  of  Jairus  and  his  daughter:  cf.  Matt. 
ix.  18,  19;  Luke  viii.  41,  42.  Three  instances  of  the  exercise 
of  the  miraculous  power  of  Jesus  in  raising  the  dead  to  life 
are  recorded  in  the  Gospels — one  where  life  had  little  more 
than  fled,  another  where  burial  was  impending,  a  third  where 
the  tomb  had  held  its  tenant  for  days.  There  were  reasons  for 
the  selection  of  these  three  for  record,  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
if  not  in  evidential  value.  For  one  was  the  case  of  a  ruler's  only 
child,  another  that  of  a  widow's  only  son,  and  the  third  that  of  the 
Lord's  friend,  the  brother  of  the  sisters  whom  he  loved.  But  of 
the  three  only  the  case  of  Jairus  is  reported  by  all  the  Synoptists, 
while  the  miracle  at  Nain  is  told  only  by  Luke,  and  that  of  Bethany 
only  by  John.  Mark's  narrative  here  is  the  most  vivid  and  cir- 
cumstantial. He  enables  us  to  follow  the  event  in  all  its  touching 
and  impressive  details  from  beginning  to  end.  Matthew's  account 
is  brief,  Luke's  is  fuller.  There  are  also  certain  differences  in 
the  connexion  of  this  event  and  in  the  particulars. 

21.  the  other  side:  the  western  side  again,  and,  as  we  may 
judge,  the  neighbourhood  of  Capernaum. 

a  great  multitude  was  gathered.  The  Gerasenes  on  the 
eastern  side  had  been  eager  to  see  him  depart.  The  people 
of  the  western  side  were  eager  to  have  him  back.  They  '  were 
all  waiting  for  him,'  as  Luke  tells  us,  in  a  crowd  upon  the  shore. 
The  incident  that  follows  is  introduced  by  Luke  as  well  as  by 
Mark  immediately  after  that  of  the  Gerasene  demoniac.  But 
Matthew  attaches  it  to  the  visit  of  the  disciples  of  John  who 
questioned  Jesus  on  the  subject  of  fasting,  and  speaks  of  Jairus 
coming  to  Jesus,  not  by  the  sea,  but  in  the  house.  Matthew's 
words    are   precise — 'while   he   spake  these   things   unto  them, 


ST.  MARK  5.  22,  23  173 

unto  I       :  and  he  was  by  the  sea.     And  there  cometh  22 
one  of  the  rulers  of  the   synagogue,  Jairus   by   name ; 
and  seeing  him,  he  falleth  at  his  feet,  and  beseecheth  23 
him  much,  saying,  My  little  daughter  is  at  the  point 
of  death :    /  pray  thee,   that  thou    come   and    lay   thy 
hands  on  her,  that  she  may  be  made  whole,  and  live. 

behold,  there  came  a  ruler.'  Though  it  is  his  habit  to  group 
things,  whether  words  or  events,  and  that  not  according  to  their 
actual  order,  but  according  to  subject,  his  words  may  indicate  in 
this  case  the  real  historical  order. 

22.  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue.  Luke  calls  him 
'a  ruler  of  the  synagogue,'  Matthew  says  simply  'a  ruler.' 
Usually  there  was  only  one  such  '  president '  for  each  synagogue, 
though  there  might  also  be  more  than  one.  Paul  and  Barnabas 
were  invited  to  give  their  word  of  exhortation  in  the  Pisidian 
Antioch  b3T  'the  rulers  of  the  synagogue'  (Acts  xiii.  15).  The 
duties  of  such  a  *  ruler.'  who  was  usually  one  of  the  elders  of  the 
congregation,  had  to  do  specially  with  the  conduct  of  public 
worship,  in  its  various  parts  of  prayer,  reading  of  Scripture,  and 
exhortation. 

Jairus.  A  name  corresponding  to  the  Jair  of  the  O.T. 
A  Jair  is  mentioned  as  a  son  of  Manasseh  in  the  time  of  Moses 
(Num.  xxxii.  41  ;  Deut.  iii.  14,  &c.}.  as  one  of  the  Judges  (Judges  x. 
3,  &c),  as  the  father  of  Mordecai  (Esther  ii.  5),  and  as  the  father  of 
Elhanan  (1  Chron.  xx.  5).  Nothing  further  is  told  us  of  this  Jairus. 
It  is  supposed  with  some  probability,  however,  that  he  belonged  to 
Capernaum,  and  that  thus  he  may  have  been  one  of  those  sent  by 
the  centurion  who  '  built  a  synagogue '  to  plead  with  Jesus  on 
behalf  of  his  sick  servant  (Luke  vii.  3).  If  so,  he  might  have  had 
such  previous  knowledge  of  Jesus  as  would  explain  the  earnestness 
and  the  confidence  with  which  he  approached  him  now,  falling  at 
his  feet  before  all  the  crowd  in  a  passion  of  entreaty. 

23.  My  little  daughter  :  a  fond  diminutive,  a  term  of  endear- 
ment used  only  by  Mark.  It  is  from  Luke  (viii.  42)  we  learn  she 
was  his  only  daughter. 

at  the  point  of  death  :  lit.  '  is  in  extremity.'  Luke  says  '  she 
lay  a  dying.'  Matthew,  who  says  nothing  of  the  message  from 
the  house,  but  gives  a  very  concise  statement  in  which  the  ruler's 
position  is  described  in  its  final  stage,  represents  him  as  sa}ing, 
'  My  daughter  is  even  now  dead.' 

lay  thy  hands  on  her.  Luke  omits  this,  but  Matthew  gives 
it.  The  laying  on  of  hands  in  cases  of  healing  is  mentioned  again 
in  vi.  5.  vii.  32,  viii.  23.  25,  xvi.  18.  So,  too.  in  Acts  ix.  17, 
xxviii.  8. 


176  ST.  MARK  5.  32-35 

thronging   thee,  and   sayest   thou,   Who  touched   me? 

32  And  he  looked  round  about  to  see  her  that  had  done 

33  this  thing.  But  the  woman  fearing  and  trembling, 
knowing  what  had  been  done   to   her,  came  and  fell 

34  down  before  him,  and  told  him  all  the  truth.  And  he 
said  unto  her,  Daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole ; 
go  in  peace,  and  be  whole  of  thy  plague. 

35  While  he  yet   spake,   they  come  from   the   ruler   of 

31.  sayest  thou,  Who  touched  me?  A  question  answering  a 
question.  To  the  disciples  it  seemed  out  of  place  to  think  of 
identifying  any  one  individual's  touch  when  there  was  about  him 
a  crowd  so  great  that  it  was  like  to  crush  him. 

32.  And  he  looked  round  about  to  see.  Another  of  those 
details  which  lead  us  to  conclude  that  Mark's  narrative  was  based 
on  first-hand  acquaintance  with  the  facts.  Jesus  did  not  know 
who  had  been  benefited  by  the  power  that  had  gone  forth  from 
him,  and  he  cast  his  eyes  around  in  search  of  anything  that 
might  indicate  the  person. 

33.  told  him  all  the  truth.  Luke  puts  it  even  more  strongly — 
'  declared  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people  for  what  cause  she 
touched  him.'  A  trial  it  must  have  been  to  her  womanly  feeling, 
yet  timid  and  trembling  as  she  was,  she  came  forward  and  kept 
nothing  back  from  the  Healer  or  from  the  people. 

34.  Daughter :  a  name  given  by  our  Lord  to  no  other  woman 
but  this.  She  had  made  a  great  venture  in  faith,  and  it  was  for 
her  faith's  sake  that  Jesus  confirmed  the  healing  and  gave  her  the 
word  of  peace. 

In  the  Apocryphal  Gospel  of  Nicodemns  (v.  26)  the  woman  is 
said  to  have  been  called  Veronica.  Eusebius  {Hist.  Eccles.  vii.  18) 
mentions  the  tradition  that  she  was  a  native  of  Csesarea  Philippi 
or  Paneas.  He  adds  that  her  house  was  shown  there,  and  that 
there  stood  at  its  gates  on  an  elevated  stone  a  brazen  image  of  the 
woman  in  the  attitude  of  a  suppliant  stretching  out  her  hands  to 
another  figure  supposed  to  represent  our  Lord.  Eusebius  tells 
us  that  this  statue  of  our  Lord  remained  till  his  own  day,  and 
was  seen  by  him. 

v.  35-43.  Continuation  of  the  story  of  J  aims  and  his  daughu  >  : 
cf.  Matt.  ix.  23-26 ;  Luke  viii.  49-56. 

35.  While  he  yet  spake.  The  interruption  which  had  brought 
health  and  grace  to  one  sufferer  meant  something  sadly  different 
to  another.  What  a  burden  it  must  have  been  to  the  ruler's  faith  i 
It  had  arrested  Jesus  on  his  way  to  one  who  seemed  to  nee>~< 


ST.   MARK    5.  36-39  J  77 

the  synagogue's  house,   saying,   Thy  daughter  is  dead : 
why  troublest  thou  the  Master  any  further?     But  Jesus,  36 
not  heeding  the  word   spoken,  saith   unto  the   ruler  of 
the  synagogue,  Fear  not,  only  believe.     And  he  suffered  37 
no    man   to    follow  with    him,  save   Peter,  and  James, 
and  John  the  brother  of  James.     And  they  come  to  the  38 
house  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue ;  and  he  beholdeth 
a  tumult,  and  many  weeping  and  wailing  greatly.    And  39 

his  help  even  more  urgently  than  the  woman.  It  had  delayed 
him  indeed  till  there  appeared  to  be  no  more  need  of  his  com- 
passionate service.  Messengers  came  from  the  ruler's  house 
announcing  the  damsel's  death.  They  came  with  these  sad 
tidings,  too,  just  at  the  moment  when  the  Lord  was  speaking  his 
word  of  blessing  to  the  woman  and  became  again  free  to  pass  on. 
why  troublest  thou  the  Master  (i.  e.  the  Teacher  or  Rabbi ) 
any  further?  The  word  meant  originally  to  flay,  and  in  later 
Greek  to  harass  or  inconvenience.  It  did  not  seem  to  occur  to 
them  that  he  who  could  heal  might  also  recall  the  vanished  life. 
So  far  as  the  Gospels  shew,  only  on  one  occasion  up  to  this  time 
had  Jesus  raised  the  dead  to  life,  and  that  had  been  in  another 
part  of  Galilee  (Luke  vii.  11.  &c.  . 

36.  not  heeding-.  The  A.  V.  makes  it  '  heard  the  word,'  and 
the  margin  of  the  R.V.  gives  'overhearing.1  But  it  is  rather 
as  in  the  R.  V.  text.  Jesus  did  hear  what  was  said  by  the 
messengers,  but  he  took  no  notice  of  it.  Instead  of  saying  any- 
thing of  it,  he  spoke  a  word  of  assurance  and  also  of  counsel  to 
the  ruler. 

3*7.  suffered  no  man  to  follow.  Up  to  this  critical  point  he 
had  done  nothing  to  check  the  crowd.  Now  he  separates  himself 
from  all,  even  from  his  disciples,  with  the  exception  of  Peter, 
and  James,  and  John.  This  is  the  first  appearance  of  the  select 
circle  of  three  within  the  chosen  circle  of  the  Twelve. 

38.  a  tumult  .  .  .  weeping1  and  wailing  greatly.  Matthew 
mentions  also  '  the  flute-players.'  The  noisy  lamentations  indulged 
in  at  Jewish  funerals,  the  professional  performers,  the  'mourning 
women,'  the  doleful  music  of  the  minstrels,  &c,  are  often  referred 
to  in  the  O.  T.  (Eccles.  xii.  5 ;  Jer.  ix.  17  ;  Amos  v.  16  ;  2  Chron. 
xxxv.  25).  Of  these  unrestrained  Oriental  waj^s  of  shewing 
grief  Van  Lennep  says — '  As  soon  as  death  takes  place  the  female 
members  of  the  household  and  the  professional  mourning-women 
announce  it  to  the  neighbourhood  by  setting  up  their  shrill  and 
piercing  cry — called  the  tahlil — which  is  heard  at  a  great  distance 
and  above  every  other  noise,  even  the  din  of  battle,   and  is  quite 

N 


178  ST.  MARK  5.  40-42 

when   he  was   entered   in,    he   saith   unto   them,    Why 
make  ye  a  tumult,  and  weep?    the  child  is  not  dead, 

40  but  sleepeth.  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  But 
he,  having  put  them  all  forth,  taketh  the  father  of  the 
child  and  her  mother  and  them  that  were  with  him, 

41  and  goeth  in  where  the  child  was.  And  taking  the 
child  by  the  hand,  he  saith  unto  her,  Talitha  cumi; 
which  is,  being  interpreted,   Damsel,    I   say  unto  thee, 

42  Arise.    And  straightway  the  damsel  rose  up,  and  walked  ; 

characteristic  of  the  East '  {Bible  Lands,  p.  586  ;  cf.  Clarke's  Mark 
and  Luke,  p.  80). 

39.  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.  He  had  not  yet  seen  the  damsel. 
But  by  these  words  he  does  not  mean  that  she  was  not  really 
dead.  That  life  was  gone  was  clear  to  all.  But  he  puts  a  new 
meaning  upon  her  death. 

40.  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  So  it  is,  in  the  same  terms, 
in  all  three  Synoptists.  These  excitable  mourners  could  turn 
quickly  from  wailing  to  derision,  and  from  derision  again  to 
wailing. 

put  them  all  forth:  better,  'ejected  them  all.'  The  word  is 
the  same  as  is  used  of  the  expulsion  of  the  traffickers  in  the 
Temple  (xi.  15),  and  suggests  stern,  authoritative  command.  It 
was  incongruous  to  have  the  noisy  jeering  crowd  of  mourners 
and  others  about  him  on  an  occasion  so  solemn  and  so  pathetic. 
It  was  appropriate  to  have  a  few  chosen  companions  as 
witnesses  of  his  action.  Elijah  was  alone  when  he  raised  the 
widow's  son  (1  Kings  xvii.  17-24),  and  Elisha  when  he  restored 
the  Shunammite's  child  (2  Kings  iv.  32-37).  Jesus  has  the  stricken 
parents  and  the  select  three  with  him  in  the  chamber  of  death. 

41.  taking*  the  child  hy  the  hand.  The  one  thing  done 
in  the  way  of  visible  instrumentality ;  recorded  by  all  three 
Synoptists. 

Talitha  cumi:  the  original  Aramaic  words,  treasured 
doubtless  in  the  heart  of  Peter,  one  of  the  hearers,  and  carefully 
preserved  by  Mark  his  '  interpreter.1 

damsel.  A  word  found  repeatedly  in  the  Greek  version  of 
the  O.T.,  but  in  the  N.  T.  used  only  here  and  in  the  case  of  the 
daughter  of  Herodias. 

Arise.     That  is,  '  waken  out  of  thy  sleep  ! ' 

42.  straightway.  The  single  word  Arise!  was  enough.  On 
the  instant  life  returned  to  the  dead  child  ;  and  not  only  life  but 
strength — she  'rose  up,'  and  she  'walked.' 


ST.  MARK  5.  43—6.  2  179 

for  she  was  twelve  years  old.     And  they  were  amazed 
straightway  with  a  great  amazement.     And  he  charged  43 
them  much  that  no  man  should  know  this :    and  he 
commanded  that  something  should  be  given  her  to  eat. 

And  he  went  out  from  thence ;  and  he  cometh  into  6 
his  own  country ;   and  his  disciples   follow  him.     And  2 

for  she  was  twelve  years  old.  An  explanation  of  her  walk- 
ing.    Though  a  child,  she  was  old  enough  to  be  capable  of  that. 

43.  charged  them  much.  There  were  witnesses  enough  of 
the  miracle  ;  but  they  were  enjoined  not  to  publish  it  abroad. 
To  do  so  then  might  have  no  better  result  than  to  kindle  popular 
excitement  and  mistaken,  premature  expectations  which,  instead 
of  helping  his  real  work,  would  hinder  and  confuse  it. 

given  her  to  eat.  A  second  charge,  revealing  his  considerate 
attention  to  details.  The  child's  immediate  need  was  not  over- 
looked. That  she  should  have  food  shewed  also  how  complete 
her  recovery  was,  and  how  natural  her  condition. 

vi.  1-6.  Visit  to  Nazareth  and  Rejection  there :  cf.  Matt.  xiii. 
53-58.  See  also  Luke  iv.  16-30.  The  difficulty  here  is  as  to  the 
relations  in  which  the  three  narratives  stand  to  each  other. 
Matthew's  narrative  is  in  most  respects  a  pretty  close  parallel 
to  Mark's.  There  are  also  resemblances  between  these  two  and 
the  third  narrative  in  Luke.  So  that  not  a  few  suppose  all  three  to 
be  versions  of  one  and  the  same  event.  There  are,  however, 
noticeable  differences  between  Luke's  account  and  the  others. 
Luke  places  the  visit  which  he  records  at  the  very  beginning 
of  our  Lord's  ministry  ;  he  dwells  upon  the  fierce  wrath  of  the 
townsfolk  ;  and  he  connects  their  murderous  intentions  with  our 
Lord's  departure  to  Capernaum.  Luke's  narrative,  therefore, 
appears  to  refer  to  an  earlier  visit ;  while  Matthew  and  Mark 
deal  with  a  second  visit,  made  perhaps  with  the  twofold  purpose 
of  renewing  his  relations  with  his  mother  and  his  brothers  and 
endeavouring  again  to  commend  himself  to  his  fellow  townsmen. 
Nor  is  there  any  improbability  in  the  supposition  that  he  should 
have  made  two  visits  to  his  old  home,  and  that  these  should  have 
had  much  in  common  as  regards  both  his  message  and  the  reception 
given  him. 

1.  from  thence  :  from  the  house  of  Jai'rus,  or  from  the  city  or 
district  in  which  it  was.  Probably  his  wish  was  to  get  away  from 
these  hampering  crowds. 

his  own  country  :  that  is,  Nazareth  and  its  parts.  Neither 
Mark  nor  Matthew  mentions  it  by  name  here,  but  it  was  there  he 
spent  his  youth  and  there  that  his  people  lived  (Luke  iv.  16). 

N    2 


180  ST.  MARK  6.  3 

when  the  sabbath  was  come,  he  began  to  teach  in  the 
synagogue :  and  many  hearing  him  were  astonished, 
saying,  Whence  hath  this  man  these  things  ?  and, 
What  is  the  wisdom  that  is  given  unto  this  man,  and 
what  mean  such  mighty  works  wrought  by  his  hands? 
3  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary,  and  brother 
of  James,  and  Joses,  and  Judas,  and  Simon  ?    and  are 

2.  began  to  teach.  He  came  accompanied  by  his  disciples, 
not  as  a  private  visitor,  but  as  one  with  a  mission  to  fulfil,  and  he 
took  the  first  opportunity  of  delivering  his  message — in  the  syna- 
gogue on  his  first  sabbath. 

astonished.  The  impression  made  by  his  words  on  this 
occasion  was  different  from  that  produced  by  the  visit  recorded 
in  Luke's  Gospel.  Amazement  was  the  effect  now,  murderous 
fury  the  effect  then. 

mighty  works :  '  powers,'  i.  e.  miraculous  powers.  The 
report  had  reached  them  of  miracles  done  by  his  means.  They 
are  astonished  at  the  change  in  him  indicated  by  the  teaching 
which  they  had  listened  to  and  by  the  works  of  which  they  had 
heard  something. 

3.  the  carpenter.  The  only  occasion  on  which  he  is  called 
explicitly  '  the  carpenter.'  In  Matthew  he  is  '  the  carpenter's 
son.'  Every  Jew  had  to  learn  a  trade.  Jesus  would  naturally 
learn  the  one  followed  by  Joseph,  and  would  work  in  his  shop  at 
Nazareth.  The  Apocryphal  gospels  have  much  that  is  extravagant 
to  say  of  him  in  this  connexion.  Justin  Martyr  tells  us  that  in  his 
time  (the  middle  of  the  second  century)  rakes,  harrows,  and  other 
articles  were  preserved  which  were  said  to  have  been  made  by 
Jesus.  The  Gospel  of  the  Infancy  represents  him  as  setting  Joseph 
right  when  he  blundered  in  his  work. 

son  of  Mary.  There  is  no  reference  to  Joseph.  Hence 
it  has  been  inferred  that  Mary  was  now  widowed.  Joseph  is 
mentioned,  however,  in  Luke's  narrative  of  the  earlier  visit  (iv.  22). 
He  passes  now  out  of  sight,  whether  he  had  died  in  the  interval 
or  still  survived. 

brother  of  James.  As  to  the  brothers  of  Jesus  see  on  iii.  31. 
Their  names  are  given  only  here  and  in  Matt.  xiii.  55. 

James  :  the  head  of  the  Church  of  Jerusalem,  as  appears 
from  Acts  xii.  17,  xv.  13,  xxi.  18  ;  called  by  Paul  '  the  Lord's 
brother '  (Gal.  i.  19)  ;  mentioned  also  as  one  of  the  three  '  pillars ' 
(Gal.  ii.  9,  12)  ;  the  probable  author  of  the  Epistle  of  James. 

Joses.      In  Matthew  'Joseph'  (xiii.  55). 

Judas.    The  probable  author  of  the  Epistle  of  J  tide.    Eusebius 


ST.  MARK   6.  4-6  1S1 

not  his  sisters  here  with  us?     And  they  were  offended 
in  him.     And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  A  prophet  is  not  4 
without  honour,  save  in  his  own  country,  and  among 
his  own   kin,  and  in   his  own   house.      And   he   could  5 
there  do  no  mighty  work,  save  that  he  laid  his  hands 
upon  a  few  sick  folk,  and  healed  them.     And  he  mar-  6 
veiled  because  of  their  unbelief. 

{Hist.  Ecd.  iii.  20),  quoting  from  Hegesippus,  an  historian  of  the 
second  century,  speaks  of  the  '  grandchildren  of  Judas,  called  the 
brother  of  our  Lord,'  as  living  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Domitian 
(a.  d.  81-96). 

Simon.  Mentioned  also  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Matthew, 
but  nowhere  else.  He  is  identified  hy  some  with  Simon  the 
Cananaean,  and  by  others  with  the  martyr  Symeon,  the  head  of 
the  Jerusalem  Church  after  the  death  of  James  ;  but  in  neither 
case  on  any  sufficient  basis  of  fact. 

his  sisters.  Their  names  are  never  given.  All  that  we 
know  of  them  is  that  they  lived  in  Nazareth,  as  the  present  passage 
indicates.  This  (with  the  parallel  in  Matt.  xiii.  56.  is  the  only 
mention  of  them  in  the  Gospels,  unless  it  be,  according  to  one 
form  of  the  text,  in  Mark  iii.  312.  In  Acts  i.  14  Mary  and  the 
brethren  are  noticed  as  among  those  who  continued  in  prayer 
in  Jerusalem.     But  nothing  is  said  of  the  sisters. 

offended  in  him.  First  '  astonished,'  and  then  '  scandalized.' 
The  difference  between  what  his  teaching  and  the  '  powers ' 
reported  to  be  in  his  hands  made  him  now  to  be,  and  what  they 
knew  him  to  have  been,  was  too  much  for  them. 

4.  A  prophet  is  not  without  honour.  Compare  what  is 
said  of  Jeremiah  and  the  men  of  Anathoth  (Jer.  xi.  21).  His 
use  of  this  proverb  was  an  indirect  claim  to  the  rank  of  a 
prophet. 

and  among1  his  own  kin.  Mark  alone  inserts  this — the 
sentence  in  which  he  names  the  sharpest  pang  in  a  bitter  trial. 

5.  could  ...  do  no  mighty  work.  Matthew  saj's  simply,  'he 
did  not  many  mighty  works.'  The  inability  declared  by  Mark  was 
a  moral  inability,  not  any  physical  arrest  put  upon  his  'powers.' 
The  moral  conditions  were  wanting. 

a  few  sick  folk.  There  were,  therefore,  exceptions ;  some 
'  hidden  ones '  with  a  claim  upon  his  compassion  and  with  the 
inward  preparation  for  the  healing  gift. 

6.  marvelled.  It  belonged  to  the  integrity  of  his  human  nature 
that  he  was  capable  of  real  wonder  as  of  real  love  and  pity.  '  The 
surprises  of  life/  says  Dr.  Swete,  '  especially  those  which  belong 


i82  ST.  MARK    6.  7-9 

And  he  went  round  about  the  villages  teaching. 

7  And  he  called  unto  him  the  twelve,  and  began  to 
send  them  forth  by  two  and  two;    and  he  gave  them 

8  authority  over  the  unclean  spirits ;  and  he  charged  them 
that  they  should  take  nothing  for  their  journey,  save  a 
staff  only  ;  no  bread,  no  wallet,  no  money  in  their  purse  ; 

9  but  to  go  shod  with  sandals :   and,  said  he,  put  not  on 

to  its  ethical  and  spiritual  side,  created  genuine  astonishment  in 
the  human  mind  of  Christ.'  The  faith  of  the  centurion  (Matt.  viii. 
10),  and  the  prejudiced  unbelief  of  the  men  of  Nazareth,  were  both 
among  these  'surprises  of  life'  to  him.  They  are  the  only  cases 
in  which  ivonder  is  definitely  attributed  "to  him. 

vi.  7-13.  Mission  of  the  Twelve  :  cf.  Matt.  ix.  35 — x.  1,  x.  5 — xi.  1  ; 
Luke  ix.  1-6.  This  mission  is  given  at  much  greater  length  by 
Matthew  than  by  Mark  and  Luke.  His  work  being  defeated  in 
Nazareth  by  the  prejudiced  attitude  of  the  people,  he  leaves  the 
town,  and  begins  a  teaching  tour  among  the  villages.  The  extent 
of  this  tour  is  not  distinctly  indicated  in  any  of  the  narratives, 
but  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  it  was  confined  to  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  Nazareth  itself. 

7.  began  to  send  them  forth.  The  Twelve  had  an  official 
position,  and  were  originally  destined  for  missionary  service.  He 
had  been  preparing  them  for  that,  and  now  he  sends  them  forth  on 
their  first  definite  mission. 

by  two  and  two.  Mark  alone  notices  this  arrangement. 
Each  would  thus  help  the  other,  and  their  testimony  would  be 
more  telling.  As  they  went  forth  in  pairs,  six  different  districts 
could  be  overtaken. 

authority  over  the  unclean  spirits.  From  Matthew  and 
Luke  we  see  that  their  commission  embraced  also  healing  and 
preaching. 

8.  nothing"  .  .  .  save  a  staff  only.  They  were  to  be  content 
with  the  simplest  equipment.  Usually  journeys  in  the  East  were 
carefully  prepared  for.  These  men  were  to  go  forth  promptly 
and  as  they  were,  taking  neither  bread,  nor  wallet,  nor  money, 
nor  anything  beyond  the  staff  which  every  traveller  carried. 
Matthew  says  '  nor  staff,1  and  Luke  '  neither  staff,  nor  wallet.' 
Mark's  '  save  a  staff  only,'  is  much  the  same  as  '  at  most 
a  staff.'  The  'wallet'  or  'scrip'  (A.  V.)  was  a  leathern  bag, 
swung  over  the  shoulder,  containing  food  for  the  journey.  The 
'purse'  was  the  loose  girdle,  in  the  folds  of  which  the  money 
was  placed. 

9.  shod  with   sandals:    the  simplest  covering  for  the  feet. 


ST.  MARK  0.  io-r4  183 

two  coats.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Wheresoever  ye  10 
enter  into  a  house,  there  abide  till  ye  depart  thence. 
And  whatsoever  place  shall  not  receive  you,  and  they  n 
hear   you   not,  as   ye   go   forth   thence,    shake   off  the 
dust  that  is  under  your  feet  for  a  testimony  unto  them. 
And   they    went    out,    and   preached   that    ?nen    should  12 
repent.     And  they  cast  out  many  devils,  and  anointed  13 
with  oil  many  that  were  sick,  and  healed  them. 

And  king  Herod  heard  thereof;    for  his  name  had  14 

Shoes  also  were  worn  by  Jews,  costly  shoes,  such  as  were  in 
use  among  the  Babylonians,  furnished  with  upper  leather. 

two  coats.  As  Mark  puts  it,  it  is  the  wearing  of  two  coats 
on  this  journey  that  is  forbidden  ;  as  Matthew  and  Luke  express 
it,  it  is  the  possession  of  two  coats  that  is  in  view.  They  were 
to  encumber  themselves  with  nothing  that  would  be  unsuitable  for 
plain  men  going  about  among  ordinary  folk.  The  '  coat '  or  '  tunic  ' 
was  the  garment  worn  under  the  cloak.  In  the  case  of  the  poor  it 
might  be  the  only  garment. 

10.  there  abide  till  ye  depart  thence.  They  were  not  to 
gad  about  from  house  to  house,  but  to  continue  with  the  family 
that  received  them  so  long  as  they  remained  in  the  place. 

11.  shake  off  the  dust:  a  symbolical  act  of  renunciation.  It 
was  a  testimony  to  the  inhospitable  that  they  were  put  upon  a 
level  with  the  heathen. 

12.  should  repent.  The  burden  of  their  preaching,  therefore, 
was  that  with  which  both  the  Baptist  and  the  Master  began. 

13.  anointed  with  oil.  This  was  a  common  specific  with  Jewish 
physicians.  Only  once  again  in  the  N.  T.  is  it  referred  to  in 
connexion  with  healing,  viz.  in  Jas.  v.  14.  Though  the  Twelve 
used  unction,  it  is  not  said  that  Jesus  himself  employed  it  in  any 
of  his  works. 

vi.  14-16.  Herod's  fear:  cf.  Matt.  xiv.  1,  2;  Luke  ix.  7-9. 
The  report  of  the  miracles  done  by  the  Twelve  reaches  the  tetrarch. 
He  concludes  that  Jesus  must  be  John  risen  from  the  dead. 

14.  king-:  here  a  title  of  courtesy  only,  the  proper  designation 
being  tetrarch,  as  in  Matthew  and  Luke.  The  •  tetrarch,'  properly 
speaking,  was  the  governor  of  the  fourth  part  of  a  country  or 
province.  Under  the  Empire  it  was  a  title  of  tributary  princes  of 
less  than  regal  rank.  In  the  N.  T.  it  is  given  to  three  rulers, 
the  Herod  of  this  passage,  Herod  Philip  '  tetrarch  of  the  region 
of  Ituraea  and  Trachonitis'  (Luke  iii.  1),  and  Lysanias  'tetrarch 
of  Abilene'  (Luke  iii.  1). 


184  ST.  MARK  6.  15-17 

become  known :  and  he  said,  John  the  Baptist  is  risen 
from  the  dead,   and   therefore   do   these   powers  work 

15  in   him.     But   others   said,    It   is   Elijah.     And   others 
said,    It  is   a   prophet,    even   as   one  of  the   prophets. 

16  But  Herod,  when  he  heard  thereof,   said,   John,  whom 

Herod :  that  is,  Herod  Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the  Great  and 
Malthace  a  Samaritan  ;  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Peraea  by  his 
father's  will ;  married  first  to  a  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of  Arabia 
Petraea,  and  then  to  Herodias.  He  is  the  Herod  to  whom  our 
Lord  was  sent  by  Pilate  (Luke  xiii.  6,  &c).  In  the  Gospels  he 
appears  as  a  sensual,  cunning,  capricious,  cruel,  weak,  unscru- 
pulous, superstitious,  despotic  prince  (Matt.  xiv.  9;  Luke  iii.  19, 
xiii.  31,  32,  &c).  He  founded  the  city  of  Tiberias  in  honour  of 
the  emperor.  Losing  the  favour  of  Caligula,  he  was  condemned 
to  perpetual  banishment  at  Lyons  and  died  in  exile. 

heard  thereof:  that  is,  of  the  miracles  wrought  by  the 
Twelve.  These  latest  events  and  others  before  them  had  made 
the  name  of  Jesus  widely  known. 

and  he  said,  John  the  Baptist  is  risen  from  the  dead: 
rather  '  the  Baptizer.'  For  the  term  used  here  is  not  the  official 
name,  but  a  designation  more  appropriate  on  the  lips  of  Herod. 
The  margin  of  the  R.  V.  notices  the  ancient  reading  '  they  said/ 
according  to  which  it  was  the  popular  belief  (which  Herod, 
therefore,  had  accepted)  that  John  had  reappeared  in  Jesus. 

therefore  do  these  powers  work  in  him.  John  did  no 
miracle  during  his  lifetime.  But  if  he  had  indeed  risen  from  the 
dead,  it  would  not  be  strange  that  new  powers,  supernatural 
powers,  should  be  active  in  him. 

15.  others  said,  It  is  Elijah.  Various  opinions  were  taken, 
however,  of  the  extraordinary  person  called  Jesus.  If  some  took 
him  to  be  John  risen,  others  thought  he  must  be  the  promised 
Elijah,  while  others  still  held  him  to  be  not  indeed  that  great 
figure  among  the  prophets,  but  at  least  '  a  prophet,  even  as  one  of 
the  prophets,'  that  is,  a  true  prophet,  like  one  of  the  recognized 
order  of  prophets. 

16.  John,  whom  I  beheaded,  he  is  risen.  This  is  what  Herod 
himself  feels  that  Jesus  must  be.  He  speaks  under  the  stress 
of  an  evil  conscience — 'he  whom  I  (the  emphasis  is  on  the/) 
beheaded,  this  man  is  risen.'  Whether  Herod  was  a  Sadducee 
or  not,  he  was  an  utter  worldling.  But  his  guilty  conscience 
drove  him  for  the  moment  into  belief  in  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  and  into  the  conviction  that  of  the  different  explanations 
given  of  Jesus  the  right  one  was  that  which  identified  him  with 
John. 


ST.  MARK  G.   is  185 

I  beheaded,  he  is  risen.     For  Herod  himself  had  sent  17 
forth  and    laid    hold   upon    John,   and    bound    him    in 
prison  for    the  sake  of  Herodias,   his   brother  Philip's 
wife :    for  he  had  married  her.      For  John  said   unto  18 


vi.  17-29.  The  Story  of  Joint's  Imprisonment  and  Death.  An 
episode  introduced  in  explanation  of  Herod's  view  of  Jesus. 
Cf.  Matt.  xiv.  3-12  ;  also  Luke  iii.  19,  20.  Luke  gives  only  a  brief 
statement  of  what  led  to  John's  imprisonment.  Mark's  account 
is  the  fullest. 

17.  Por  Herod  himself.  Mark  represents  the  seizure  of  the 
Baptist  as  emphatically  Herod's  own  act.  Where  he  arrested  him, 
whether  at  iEnon  (John  iii.  23)  or  elsewhere,  is  not  stated.  But 
the  circumstances  that  led  him  to  take  the  fatal  step  are  related  at 
length. 

in  prison.  According  to  Josephus  {Anttq.  xviii.  5.  2)  the 
prison  was  the  strong  fortress  of  Machaerus  in  Peraea,  the  modern 
Mkaur,  known  as  the  '  diadem '  and  the  '  black-tower '  or  '  black- 
fortress,'  some  miles  to  the  east  of  the  northern  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  It  had  been  fortified  at  an  early  date,  then  demolished  by 
Gabinius  and  fortified  anew  by  Herod  the  Great.  It  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  King  of  Arabia,  according  to  Josephus  (Antiq. 
xviii.  5.  1',  in  the  time  of  Herod  Antipas.  How  it  came  into  the 
hands  of  the  latter  we  are  not  informed.  Canon  Tristram  found 
two  dungeons  among  the  ruins  at  Mkaur,  still  shewing  in  their 
masonry  the  holes  in  which  staples  of  wood  or  iron  once  had  been 
fastened.  He  thinks  one  of  these  may  have  been  the  prison-house 
of  John.     See  his  Land  of  Moab,  chap.  xiv. 

Herodias.  Daughter  of  Aristobulus,  son  of  Herod  the  Great 
and  Mariamne,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Simon  the  high  priest. 
She  was  the  sister  of  Agrippa  I — the  Herod  who  killed  James  with 
the  sword,  imprisoned  Peter,  and  died  by  the  horrible  death  re- 
ported in  the  N.  T.  (Acts  xii.  1-3,  23'.  Her  mother  was  Bernice 
or  Berenice,  daughter  of  Salome,  Herod's  sister.  Herodias 
was  married  first  to  Herod,  one  of  the  sons  of  Herod  the  Great, 
whom  she  left  for  Antipas.  Ambition,  it  would  seem,  led  her  to 
enter  into  the  union  with  Herod,  who  had  become  enamoured  of 
her  on  one  of  his  journeys  to  Rome.  Her  ambition  also  proved 
the  ruin  of  Antipas. 

his  brother  Philip's  wife.  This  member  of  the  Herodian 
family  is  to  be  distinguished  from  the  Philip  who  is  referred  to  in 
Luke's  Gospel  as  the  '  tetrarch  of  the  region  of  Ituraea  and 
Trachonitis'  (iii.  1).  The  latter  was  the  son  of  Herod  the  Great 
and   Cleopatra   of  Jerusalem,    and   is   described    by  Josephus  as 


1 86  ST.  MARK  6.  19-21 

Herod,  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  thy  brother's 

19  wife.    And  Herodias  set  herself  against  him,  and  desired 

20  to  kill  him ;  and  she  could  not ;  for  Herod  feared  John, 
knowing  that  he  was  a  righteous  man  and  a  holy,  and 
kept    him    safe.      And   when    he   heard   him,    he   was 

21  much  perplexed;  and  he  heard  him  gladly.  And  when 
a  convenient  day  was  come,  that  Herod  on  his  birthday 

a  prince  'moderate  and  peaceful  in  his  rule'  {Antiq.  xviii.  4.  1). 
The  former  was  Herod,  called  also  Philip,  as  appears  from  this 
passage  and  Matt.  xiv.  3,  son  of  Herod  the  Great  and  Mariamne. 
This  Herod  or  Philip  spent  a  private,  undistinguished  life.  The 
fact  that  he  was  the  first  spouse  of  Herodias  has  kept  his  name 
alive. 

18.  not  lawful.  Philip,  the  husband  of  Herodias,  was  still  alive. 
Antipas's  wife,  the  daughter  of  Aretas,  also  was  alive.  She  had 
been  living  with  her  husband,  and  fled  to  her  father  only  when 
she  heard  of  the  determination  of  Antipas  to  have  Herodias. 
Further,  Herodias  was  niece  to  Antipas. 

19.  set  herself  against  him.  She  was  not  content  with  seeing 
John  cast  into  prison,  but  nursed  her  grudge  against  him  and 
watched  her  opportunity  to  compass  his  death. 

20.  feared  John.  The  Baptist's  character  made  itself  felt.  The 
voluptuary  whom  he  had  boldly  rebuked  had  a  salutary  regard  for 
him,  and  perhaps  dreaded,  too,  what  might  happen  if  he  made  away 
with  him. 

kept  him  safe :  better  than  the  '  observed  him  '  of  the  A.  V. 
Herod  protected  John  against  the  malign  designs  of  Herodias.  He 
even  continued  to  hear  him  from  time  to  time,  and  did  so  gladly. 
It  is  not  said  where  this  took  place.  It  may  have  been  in  the 
fortress-palace  occupied  by  Antipas  near  the  prison  at  Machaerus. 
Antipas  also  may  have  sent  for  John  to  Tiberias  now  and  again  ; 
for  the  Baptist  appears  to  have  been  a  considerable  time  in  prison, 
perhaps  a  year  and  a  half,  and  he  was  visited  by  his  disciples. 
These  things  are  recorded  to  the  credit  of  Antipas.  They  are  the 
only  favourable  things  said  of  him  in  the  Gospels.  Matthew  says 
that  Herod  himself  would  have  put  John  to  death,  but  was  re- 
strained by  his  fear  of  the  people  (xiv.  5).  Josephus  also  ascribes 
to  Herod  the  intention  to  kill  John  {Antiq.  xviii.  5.  2). 

much  perplexed  :  a  better  reading  than  the  '  did  many 
things'  of  the  A.  V.  He  was  in  a  strait  between  his  sense  of  the 
righteousness  of  John  and  the  monitions  of  his  conscience  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  attractions  and  insistence  of  Herodias  on  the 
other. 


ST.  MARK  6.  2.-2r,  187 

made  a  supper  to  his  lords,  and  the  high  captains,  and 
the  chief  men  of  Galilee;    and  when   the  daughter  of  22 
Herodias    herself  came    in    and    danced,    she    pleased 
Herod  and  them  that  sat  at  meat  with  him ;    and  the 
king  said  unto  the  damsel,  Ask  of  me  whatsoever  thou 
wilt,  and  I  will  give  it  thee.     And  he  sware  unto  her,  23 
Whatsoever  thou  shalt   ask  of  me,    I   will  give  it  thee, 
unto   the    half  of  my    kingdom.      And    she  went  out,  24 
and  said  unto  her  mother,   What    shall    I    ask?     And 
she   said,    The   head   of  John   the   Baptist.     And   she  25 
came   in   straightway    with    haste    unto    the   king,   and 
asked,   saying,    I   will    that  thou   forthwith   give   me   in 
a  charger  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist.     And  the  king  26 

21.  lords,  magnates,  the  most  important  civil  officers;  high, 
captains,  the  military  chiefs  of  the  district,  the  military  tribunes 
or  colonels  ;  chief  men  of  Galilee,  the  provincials  of  highest 
rank. 

22.  the  daughter  of  Herodias  herself.  Her  name  was 
Salome.  To  gain  her  fell  purpose  the  great  Herodias.  the  wife 
of  a  tetrarch  and  daughter  of  a  king,  stooped  to  send  her  child 
to  take  part  in  the  voluptuous  and  degrading  dances  characteristic 
of  such  riotous  feasts.  The  daughter  of 'Herodias  herself — none 
else  was  likely  to  take  Herod  on  the  yielding  side.  The  margin 
of  the  R.  V.  notices  a  curious  old  reading  which  would  make 
the  dancing-girl  a  daughter  of  Antipas  himself,  bearing  her 
mother's  name. 

23.  the  half  of  my  kingdom.  So  with  Ahasuerus  and  Esther 
(Esther  v.  3,  vii.  2). 

25.  came  in  straightway.  Thinking  no  doubt  of  her  own 
advantage  the  girl  went  out  to  consult  her  mother.  Herodias 
kept  her  not  a  moment.  Her  answer  was  sharp  and  short — her 
enemy's  head.  Before  Antipas  could  think  twice  of  his  rash 
promise  the  damsel  was  back  with  her  demand. 

I  will  that  thou  forthwith  give  me.  Her  request  is 
peremptory  and  pert.  John  being  in  the  prison  at  hand,  she 
knew  it  could  be  at  once  made  good,  and  was  determined  to  have 
it  so.  She  did  this,  '  being  put  forward  by  her  mother,'  as 
Matthew  explains. 

a  charger.  A  plate  or  flat  dish  large  enough  to  hold 
a  joint  of  meat — an  assictte.  Homer  uses  it  of  the  wooden 
trencher  on  which  meat  was  placed. 


1 88  ST.  MARK  6.  27-30 

was  exceeding  sorry ;  but  for  the  sake  of  his  oaths,  and 

27  of  them  that  sat  at  meat,  he  would  not  reject  her.  And 
straightway  the  king  sent  forth  a  soldier  of  his  guard, 
and  commanded  to  bring  his  head :   and  he  went  and 

28  beheaded  him  in  the  prison,  and  brought  his  head  in 
a  charger,  and  gave  it  to  the  damsel ;   and  the  damsel 

29  gave  it  to  her  mother.  And  when  his  disciples  heard 
thereof,  they  came  and  took  up  his  corpse,  and  laid  it 
in  a  tomb. 

30  And   the   apostles   gather   themselves   together   unto 

26.  exceeding1  sorry.  His  respect  for  John  and  his  wish  to 
protect  him  would  make  him  genuinely  and  grievously  vexed. 
But  his  sorrow  could  not  prevail  against  his  mistaken  sense  of 
honour  and  his  false  consideration  for  the  opinion  of  his  guests. 

his  oaths.  He  had  repeated  his  promise,  then,  once  and 
again,  in  the  loud  and  swaggering  terms,  we  may  imagine,  of 
the  reveller.     Too  late  he  saw  how  rashly  he  had  bound  himself. 

reject  her.     Rather,  '  refuse  her,'  or  '  break  faith  with  her.' 

27.  a  soldier  of  his  guard.  The  original  term  is  a  Latin 
term,  designating  a  scout.  In  the  times  of  the  Empire  it 
became  the  name  of  a  member  of  the  Roman  Emperor's  body- 
guard. One  of  the  duties  of  these  guards  was  to  carry  out 
orders  of  execution.  Antipas  followed  the  Roman  custom. 
'  Straightway,'  says  Mark,  the  King  dispatched  the  soldier.  We 
can  picture  to  ourselves  what  passed.  Antipas,  chagrined  and 
vexed,  would  give  the  command  in  a  gruff  sentence.  The  soldier 
would  at  once  march  from  the  banquet-hall  to  the  dungeon,  and 
in  a  trice  the  bloody  deed  would  be  done.  The  prisoner  would 
have  neither  warning  of  his  end  nor  time  for  any  farewell.  Swift, 
tragic,  staggering  close  to  a  life  of  high  service  and  fearless 
rectitude  ! 

28.  gave  it  to  her  mother.  The  daughter  knew  it  to  be  the 
mother's  triumph  and  the  mother's  possession.  'The  Cathedral 
Church  of  Amiens  claims  to  be  in  present  possession  of  the  head ' 
(Swete). 

29.  in  a  tomb.  We  know  not  where,  but  it  was  probably  in 
the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Machaerus.  Matthew  adds  that 
John's  disciples,  after  they  had  paid  their  last  sad  tribute  of  honour 
to  him  by  burying  him,  •  went  and  told  Jesus '  t^xiv.  12).  Some 
had  joined  Jesus  before.  Others,  who  had  kept  by  John,  would 
have  the  more  reason  now  to  attach  themselves  to  Jesus. 

vi.  30-33.     Return  of  the  Twelve.     Cf.  Matt.  xiv.  13  ;  Luke  ix. 


ST.  MARK  6.  31J32  189 

Jesus  ;  and  they  told  him  all  things,  whatsoever  they 
had  done,  and  whatsoever  they  had  taught.  And  he  31 
saith  unto  them,  Come  ye  yourselves  apart  into  a  desert 
place,  and  rest  a  while.  For  there  were  many  coming 
and  going,  and  they  had  no  leisure  so  much  as  to  eat. 
And  they  went  away  in  the  boat  to  a  desert  place  apart.  32 

10,  t  1 ;  John  vi.  1-3.  This  brief  paragraph  is  one  of  deep  and  varied 
interest.  It  introduces  the  narrative  of  the  great  miracle  of  the 
Five  Thousand.  It  marks  the  point  at  which  the  narrative  of 
the  four  Gospels  coincides  for  a  time.  It  is  remarkable  also  for  the 
insight  it  gives  us  into  the  Lord's  thoughtful  care  for  the  Twelve. 

30.  the  apostles  gather  themselves  together  unto  Jesus. 
The  death  of  the  Baptist  and  the  return  of  the  Twelve  took  place 
in  spring,  as  we  infer  from  John's  reference  to  the  Passover  as  at 
hand  (vi.  4;.  There  would  be  only  about  a  year  of  our  Lord's  public 
ministry  yet  to  run.  The  place  to  which  the  Twelve  returned  is 
not  stated.  Probably  it  was  Capernaum  or  its  neighbourhood. 
The  Twelve  have  here  the  official  name  of  'Apostles.'  This 
is  the  only  occasion  on  which  Mark  gives  them  the  title.  It  has 
a  special  appropriateness  here  in  the  report  of  their  return  from 
their  first  official  mission.  Usually  Mark  employs  the  less  specific 
name  '  disciples.' 

told  him  all  things.  They  gave  a  full  report  both  of  their 
teaching  and  of  their  works.  Nothing  is  said,  however,  either 
of  their  success  or  of  their  Master's  estimate  of  their  labours. 

31.  Come  ye  yourselves  apart.  His  concern  was  that  they 
should  have  the  privacy  and  rest  which  they  needed  after  the 
novel  experiences  and  the  exertions  of  their  mission. 

into  a  desert  place.  Mark  does  not  identify  the  place. 
Luke  says  'to  a  city  called  Bethsaida'  (ix.  10);  which  may 
mean  simply  in  the  direction  of  a  city  so  named.  There  were 
many  quiet,  unfrequented  spots  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  lake, 
especially  on  the  eastern  side  and  at  the  northern  end,  but  also  on 
the  western  side. 

many  coming  and  going.  Rest  was  not  to  be  had,  if  they 
remained  at  the  head  quarters  of  their  Master's  ministry  for  the 
time.  Streams  of  visitors,  drawn  thither  by  the  fame  of  his 
works,  and  increased  by  the  approach  of  the  great  Jewish  festival 
(John  vi.  4),  kept  them  ever  in  movement  and  broke  in  even  on 
their  meals.     These  details  are  given  only  b}^  Mark. 

32.  in  the  boat:  this  indicates  that  they  were  not  far  from  the 
lake. 

to  a  desert  place  apart.  Their  course  seems  to  have  been 
eastwards  by  the  end  of  the  lake,   and  the   place  where  they 


igo  ST.  MARK  6.  33-35 

33  And  the  people  saw  them  going,  and  many  knew  them, 
and  they  ran  there  together  on  foot  from  all  the  cities, 

34  and  outwent  them.  And  he  came  forth  and  saw  a  great 
multitude,  and  he  had  compassion  on  them,  because 
they  were  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd  :  and  he  began 

35  to  teach  them  many  things.  And  when  the  day  was  now 
far  spent,  his  disciples  came  unto  him,  and  said,  The  place 

landed  for  retirement  cannot  have  been  far  from  Bethsaida,  the 
scene  of  the  miracle  that  followed. 

33.  ran  .  .  .  together  on  foot.  The  disciples  did  not  get  the 
rest  which  Jesus  sought  for  them.  Jesus  and  his  party  were 
recognized,  the  course  of  the  boat  was  seen,  and  the  eager  people 
made  their  way  by  the  shore  to  the  expected  place  of  landing. 

outwent  them.  They  were  there  indeed  before  those  in  the 
boat  themselves.  This  was  possible  enough.  The  distance  across 
the  lake  might  be  some  four  miles  indeed,  while  by  land  it  might 
be  more  than  twice  as  much.  But  good  walkers  could  beat  the 
boat,  if  the  wind  was  either  adverse  or  insufficient.  Mark  alone 
mentions  this. 

vi.  34-44.  The  Miracle  of  the  Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand.  Cf. 
Matt.  xiv.  14-21  ;  Luke  ix.  12-17  5  John  vi.  4-13.  Here,  too,  we 
have  the  conjoint  narrative  of  the  four  Gospels.  This  is  the  only 
miracle  recorded  by  all  the  four.  Of  all  the  miracles  reported  in 
the  Gospels,  this,  too,  is  the  one  that  was  witnessed  by  the  largest 
gathering  of  spectators  and  in  which  the  largest  number  of  people 
took  part. 

34.  he  came  forth  and  saw.  Not  till  he  got  out  of  the  boat 
did  Jesus  become  aware  of  the^  state  of  things.  His  expectation 
of  quiet  was  defeated,  but  instead  of  giving  way  to  the  sense  of 
disappointment,  he  thought  only  of  the  needs  of  the  people. 
Luke  tells  us  that  he  even   'welcomed  them'   (ix.   11). 

as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd.  The  same  phrase  occurs 
in  Matt.  ix.  36  (cf.  also  Num.  xxvii.  17 ;  1  Kings  xxii.  17  ; 
2  Chron.  xviii.  16s).  His  compassion  was  stirred  by  the  spectacle 
of  the  eager  interest  of  those  crowds  who  had  been  left  so  unin- 
structed  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of  God  by  the  recognized 
teachers  of  the  law. 

began  to  teach  them.  And  not  only  so,  he  also  healed  their 
sick,  as  both  Matthew  and  Luke  tell  us. 

35.  when  the  day  was  now  far  spent.  Another  interesting 
note  of  time,  indicating  that  the  miracle  took  place  shortly  before 
sunset,  which  at  that  season  would  be  about  six  o'clock. 


ST.   MARK   6.  36-39  191 

is  desert,  and  the  day  is  now  far  spent :  send  them  away,  36 
that  they  may  go  into  the  country  and   villages  round 
about,  and  buy  themselves  somewhat  to  eat.      But  he  37 
answered  and  said  unto  them,   Give    ye  them  to  eat. 
And   they  say   unto   him,   Shall   we   go   and   buy   two 
hundred  pennyworth  of  bread,  and  give  them  to  eat  ? 
And  he  saith  unto  them,   How  many  loaves  have  ye  ?  38 
go  and  see.     And  when  they  knew,  they  say,  Five,  and 
two  fishes.     And  he  commanded  them  that  all  should  39 


his  disciples  came  unto  him,  and  said.  According  to 
John  vi.  5),  Jesus  himself  said  to  Philip,  'Whence  are  we  to  buy 
bread,  that  these  may  eat  ? '  The  concern  now  expressed  by  the 
disciples  for  the  physical  wants  of  the  multitude  may  have  been 
prompted  by  the  Lord's  considerate  question  previously  addressed 
to  one  of  them. 

37.  Give  ye  them  to  eat.  The  disciples  would  have  had  him 
dismiss  them  and  let  them  provide  for  themselves.  He  will  have 
them  remain,  and  be  provided  for  by  the  disciples. 

Shall  we  go  and  "buy.  The  Lord's  prompt  word,  '  Give  ye 
them  to  eat,'  may  well  have  seemed  to  them  a  direction  to  attempt 
the  impracticable.  They  think  of  their  resources,  and  of  what 
might  be  required. 

two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread.  A  hasty,  indeterminate 
estimate,  but  one  pointing  to  a  considerable  sum.  Only  Mark 
and  John  mention  the  quantity  of  bread  or  the  sum  of  money, 
and  John  refers  to  the  money  only  to  declare  it  inadequate. 
Luke  omits  this,  and  Matthew  passes  over  the  suggestion  to 
purchase.  The  'penny'  is  a  misleading  rendering  of  the  coin 
in  question — the  denarius — all  the  more  that,  as  has  been  noticed, 
in  most  of  its  occurrences  in  the  N.  T.  it  suggests  the  idea  of 
a  liberal  sum.  It  varied  in  value  from  about  82(/.  to  i\d.  It  was 
the  stated  day's  wage  for  a  labouring  man  (Matt.  xx.  2,  &c). 
'Shilling'  would  be  a  better  rendering  than  'penny.'  Two 
hundred  denarii  might  represent  something  over  £7  of  our  money. 
It  is  not  likely  that  the  disciples  had  so  much  with  them.  But 
even  such  a  sum,  distributed  among  5,000  men,  would  mean  only 
about  a  third  of  a  penny  for  each. 

38.  How  many  loaves  have  ye?  Only  Mark  tells  us  that  the 
disciples  were  sent  to  find  this  out.  John  introduces  Andrew 
here,  and  tells  us  that  there  were  five  loaves  and  two  fishes  in 
the  hand  of  a  lad  who  was  present  vvi.  8,  9). 


192  ST.   MARK   6.  40-43 

40  sit  down  by  companies  upon  the  green  grass.  And 
they  sat  down  in  ranks,    by  hundreds,  and  by  fifties. 

41  And  he  took  the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes,  and 
looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed,  and  brake  the  loaves ; 
and  he  gave  to  the  disciples  to  set  before  them ;   and 

42  the  two  fishes  divided  he  among  them  all.     And  they 

43  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled.     And  they  took  up  broken 


39.  sit  down  by  companies.  The  instruction  that  they  should 
be  so  arranged  was  given  through  the  disciples,  as  we  learn 
from  Luke  and  John.  Provision  was  thus  made  for  an  orderly 
disposition  of  the  crowd. 

upon  the  green  grass.  Both  Matthew  and  John  mention  that 
they  were  seated  on  the  grass,  on  which  they  could  recline  at  ease, 
as  Jews  were  accustomed  to  do  on  couches  at  table.  John  notices 
also  that  there  was  '  much  grass  in  the  place.'  Only  Mark  notices 
its  greenness.  In  early  spring  the  grass  would  be  peculiarly  fresh 
and  attractive.     Later  it  would  become  scorched  and  brown. 

40.  they  sat  down.  That  they  acted  at  once  on  the  instructions 
of  the  disciples  meant  that  they  trusted  them  and  looked  for 
something  to  happen. 

in  ranks :  lit.  i  in  garden  beds.'  This  has  been  taken  to 
mean  in  parterres,  as  if  the  point  of  comparison  was  the  flower- 
bed, and  the  idea  that  of  the  picturesque  appearance  presented 
by  the  people  thus  arranged  in  sets  with  the  bright  variegated 
colours  of  their  clothing.  But  the  word  is  used  ordinarily  of  the 
beds  of  garden  herbs,  and  the  idea  seems  to  be  the  simpler  one 
of  the  regular  rectangular  arrangement  in  groups  of  fifties  and 
hundreds.  Order  would  thus  be  preserved,  and  the  matter  of 
distribution  as  well  as  of  counting  made  easy.  Matthew  and 
John  do  not  mention  the  sizes  of  the  ranks.  Luke  notices  only 
the  arrangement  in  companies,  '  about  fifty  each.' 

41.  he  took  the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes.  Jesus  was 
recognized  as  the  Master  and  Host,  and  the  provisions  were 
brought  to  him  as  such. 

looking  up  to  heaven  :  that  is,  in  the  attitude  of  prayer.  See 
also  in  the  O.  T.  Job  xxii.  26,  and  in  the  Gospels  Mark  vii.  34, 
John  xi.  41. 

blessed:  that  is,  'gave  thanks.1  In  John  it  is  'having  given 
thanks'  (vi.  11). 

42.  were  filled.  The  word  is  a  strong  one,  indicating  that 
the  provision  made  was  large  enough  to  give  each  as  much  as 
he  wished,  even  of  the  fishes.  So  John  puts  it — '  likewise  also 
of  the  fishes  as  much  as  they  would1  (vi.  11). 


ST.  MARK   6.  44,45  193 

pieces,  twelve  basketfuls,  and  also  of  the  fishes.      And  44 
they  that  ate  the  loaves  were  five  thousand  men. 

And  straightway  he  constrained  his  disciples  to  enter  45 

43.  twelve  basketfuls  :  it  was  by  the  direction  of  the  Master 
that  the  broken  pieces  left  over  were  carefulty  gathered  (John 
vi.  ia).  The  quantity  taken  up  shewed  the  liberal  measure  of  the 
provision.  The  word  for  basket  here  is  the  same  in  all  the  four 
narratives,  and  is  different  from  that  mentioned  in  the  subsequent 
narrative  of  the  Four  Thousand.  This  denotes  the  common 
wicker  basket  which  a  Jew  took  with  him  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  his  provisions.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  twelve 
baskets  used  on  this  occasion  may  have  been  those  in  which  the 
Twelve  Apostles  had  carried  the  food  which  they  required  on 
their  missionary  journey  recently  finished. 

44.  five  thousand  men.  That  is  men  as  distinguished  from 
women  and  children.  Matthew  says  expressly  'beside  women 
and  children'  (xiv.  21).  These  would  not  sit  down  with  the 
men. 

From  Luke  (ix.  10)  we  gather  that  the  scene  of  this  stupendous 
and  most  humane  miracle  was  at  or  near  {a  city  called  Bethsaida.' 
That  is  the  Bethsaida  which  is  known  to  have  been  planted  on  the 
northern  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  east  of  the  Jordan,  in  the 
district  of  the  Lower  Gaulonitis,  near  where  the  river  enters 
the  Lake.  It  was  raised  from  the  rank  of  a  village  to  that  of  a 
'  city '  by  Philip  the  Tetrarch,  who  also  attached  to  it  the  name 
Julias  in  honour  of  Julia,  the  daughter  of  Augustus.  Its  site  is 
supposed  by  modern  travellers  to  be  found  at  et-  Tell  near  where 
the  Jordan  enters  the  green,  grassy  plain  called  el-Bateiha,  or  at 
Mas'adiyeh  in  the  same  plain,  but  nearer  the  Lake  and  at  the 
river's  mouth. 

vi.  45-52.  The  incident  of  the  Walking  on  the  Sea  :  cf.  Matt.  xiv. 
22-33  5  John  vi.  16-21.  We  have  no  longer  the  fourfold  narrative, 
for  Luke  drops  out.  But  it  is  of  importance  to  notice  the  agree- 
ment of  John  at  this  point  also  with  the  Synoptical  narrative  as 
represented  by  two  of  the  writers. 

45.  And  straightway  he  constrained  his  disciples.  The 
explanation  of  this  is  found  in  John's  Gospel.  It  alone  informs  us 
of  the  impression  produced  by  the  miracle  of  the  Five  Thousand. 
It  was  great  and  immediate.  The  people  confessed  Jesus  to  be 
'of  a  truth  the  prophet  that  cometh  into  the  world.'  They  would 
even  have  taken  him  b}'  force  and  made  him  a  king  (vi.  14,  15). 
This  determined  him  to  withdraw  'into  the  mountain  himself 
alone'  (vi.  15).  It  made  him  also  resolved  to  send  the  disciples 
on  before  him.  to  the  other  side,  while  he  himself  dismissed  the 

O 


194  ST.  MARK  6.  46-48 

into  the  boat,  and  to  go  before  him  unto  the  other  side 
to  Bethsaida,  while  he  himself  sendeth  the  multitude 

46  away.      And   after   he   had    taken   leave   of   them,    he 

47  departed  into  the  mountain  to  pray.     And  when  even 
was  come,  the  boat  was  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  and 

48  he  alone  on  the  land.     And  seeing  them  distressed  in 
rowing,  for  the  wind  was  contrary  unto  them,  about  the 

multitude.  The  disciples  no  doubt  required  to  be  constrained. 
For  it  could  not  but  seem  strange  to  them  that  he  should  separate 
himself  from  them,  and  send  them  away  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  very  place  he  had  chosen  with  a  view  to  giving  them  rest. 

unto  the  other  side  to  Bethsaida.  Matthew  says  simply 
'to  the  other  side,' without  mentioning  Bethsaida  (xiv.  22).  John 
says  'over  the  sea  unto  Capernaum'  (vi.  17).  Their  way,  there- 
fore, was  westward  across  the  Lake.  Matthew  and  Mark  both 
state  explicitly  that  they  came  at  last  to  Gennesaret  (Matt.  xiv. 
34 ;  Mark  vi.  53).  Were  there  then  two  Bethsaidas,  one  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Lake,  and  another  on  the  western  ?  To  say 
that  there  were  two  is  the  simplest  explanation,  though  we  have 
no  such  evidence  of  the  western  Bethsaida  as  we  have  of  Beth- 
saida Julias.  Some  suppose  that  there  was  but  one  city  of  the 
name,  but  that  it  was  divided  by  the  Jordan  into  an  eastern  part 
and  a  western.  Others  think  that  all  that  is  meant  by  the  phrase 
'  to  the  other  side '  is  to  '  the  opposite  side  of  the  little  bay  which 
lay  between  the  sloping  ground  where  the  miracle  was  wrought 
and  Philip's  new  city'  (so  Swete).  But  it  is  difficult  to  adjust 
the  different  particulars  of  the  narratives,  the  natural  sense  of c  the 
other  side,'  the  express  mention  by  Luke  of  Bethsaida,  and  others, 
to  these  explanations  or  to  any  other  supposition  than  that  of  the 
existence  of  a  Bethsaida  on  the  western  shore. 

46.  taken  leave.  The  words  are  used  of  taking  farewell  of 
friends.     It  was,  therefore,  a  kindly,  though  decided,  dismissal. 

into  the  mountain.  He  had  been  on  the  height  before  (John 
vi.  3),  and  had  returned  to  its  solitude.  The  death  of  John  and 
the  attitude  of  the  people  made  another  crisis  in  his  career,  which 
required  prayer  and  thought. 

47.  when  even  was  come.  The  miracle  had  taken  place  not 
long  before  sunset.  It  was  now  dark,  as  John  states  (vi.  17), 
and  the  wind  had  risen  to  a  storm,  and  they  were  alone  on  the 
treacherous  sea  as  their  Master  was  alone  on  the  mount. 

in  the  midst  of  the  sea.  They  had  rowed,  says  John 
(vi.  19)  'about  five  and  twenty  or  thirty  furlongs' — little  more 
than  halfway  across. 


ST.  MARK  6.  49-51  195 

fourth  watch  of  the  night  he  cometh  unto  them,  walking 
on  the  sea ;   and  he  would  have  passed  by  them :   but  49 
they,  when  they  saw  him  walking  on  the  sea,  supposed 
that  it  was  an  apparition,  and  cried  out :    for  they  all  5° 
saw  him,  and  were  troubled.     But  he  straightway  spake 
with  them,  and  saith  unto  them,  Be  of  good  cheer :  it  is 
I ;  be  not  afraid.     And  he  went  up  unto  them  into  the  .si 
boat ;  and  the  wind  ceased  :  and  they  were  sore  amazed 

48.  the  fourth  watch.  From  the  height  Jesus  had  watched 
their  distress,  and  in  due  time  went  to  their  relief.  The  '  fourth 
watch '  was  from  3  to  6  a.m.  The  Jews  reckoned  by  three 
watches,  theirs*  or  beginning  of  watches  (sunset  to  10  p.m.),  the 
middle  watch  do  p.m.  to  2  a.m.),  and  the  morning  watch  (2  a.m. 
to  sunrise).  The  Romans  reckoned  by  four  watches,  and  this 
was  followed  by  the  Jews  of  our  Lord's  time.  And  so  it  is  in 
Matthew  and  Mark. 

would  have  passed  by  them:  cf.  Luke  xxiv.  28.  This  is 
reported  only  by  Mark,  and  it  means  that  it  was  the  deliberate 
purpose  of  Jesus  to  pass  by  them — no  doubt  to  test  them  and 
instruct  their  faith. 

49.  an  apparition.  Better  than  '  a  spirit '  as  in  the  A.  V.  ;  cf. 
Job  iv.  15.  &c,  xx.  8.  It  is  'spirit,'  not  'apparition,'  on  the  other 
hand  in  Luke's  narrative  of  the  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord 
(xxiv.  37,  39). 

cried  out.  Their  faith  failed  them.  They  did  not  recognize 
Jesus,  nor  did  the  thought  suggest  itself  that  he  was  likely  to 
come  to  them  in  their  need.  The  figure  looked  spectral  and 
unsubstantial  as  it  moved  on  the  water,  and  they  were  terror- 
stricken. 

50.  all  saw  him.  It  was  not  the  delusion,  therefore,  of  one 
heated  brain  or  perverted  eye. 

Be  of  good  cheer :  it  is  I ;  toe  not  afraid.  The  words  are 
the  same  as  reported  also  by  Matthew  and  by  John,  except  that 
the  latter  omits  the  '  Be  of  good  cheer.'  Here  again  we  have 
in  Mark's  Gospel  tokens  of  a  narrative  founded  on  the  testimony 
of  eye  and  ear.  The  assuring  word  was  spoken  without  delay. 
The  voice  was  recognized,  though  the  figure  was  not,  and  the 
terrors  of  the  disciples  were  relieved. 

51.  went  up  unto  them  into  the  tooat.  John  does  not  speak 
of  him  as  having  actually  gone  on  board,  but  refers  to  the  disciples 
as  purposing  to  take  him  in,  when  straightway  the  boat  was 
mysteriously  brought  to  land.  As  another  incident  in  the  miracle 
Mark  adds  that  'the  wind  ceased.' 

O    2 


196  ST.  MARK  6.  52,  53 

52  in  themselves ;  for  they  understood  not  concerning  the 
loaves,  but  their  heart  was  hardened. 

53  And  when  they  had  crossed  over,  they  came  to  the 

sore  amazed  in  themselves.  They  were  profoundly  moved 
and  staggered,  so  much  so  that  they  did  not  or  could  not  give 
expression  to  their  thoughts.  Matthew  adds  that  they  worshipped 
him. 

52.  understood  not  concerning"  the  loaves.  What  they  had 
seen  in  connexion  with  the  immediately  preceding  miracle  should 
have  made  this  further  miracle  less  of  a  difficulty  to  them.  But  it  was 
not  so,  and  the  reason  for  it  was  that  '  their  heart  was  hardened.' 
That  is,  they  were  not  in  a  state  of  mind  to  receive  the  proper 
impression.  The  heart,  according  to  Hebrew  ideas,  was  the  seat 
of  the  intelligence,  and  not  of  the  affections  only. 

Matthew  attaches  to  this  narrative  the  incident  of  Peter  stepping 
from  the  boat  into  the  sea  and  essaying  to  walk  on  the  water  to 
Jesus  (xiv.  28-33).  I*  is  impossible  to  explain  this  miracle  away 
by  saying  that  Jesus  only  walked  upon  the  shore  and  was  taken 
by  the  disciples,  panic-stricken  and  in  the  dark  as  they  were,  for 
a  spectre  moving  on  the  sea.  The  careful  mention  of  the  distance 
they  had  rowed  (25  or  30  furlongs)  and  the  point  they  had  reached 
('in  the  midst  oi the  sea'),  and  other  particulars  in  the  narrative,  put 
that  out  of  the  question.  It  belongs  to  the  class  of  nature-miracles, 
and  is  one  of  the  strangest  of  these,  as  the  feeding  of  the  Five 
Thousand  is  one  of  the  most  stupendous. 

vi.  53-56.  The  ministry  of  Jesus  in  the  Plain  of  Gennesaret :  cf. 
Matt.  xiv.  34-36.  This  brief  paragraph,  which  has  no  parallel  in 
Luke  or  in  John,  is  one  of  the  most  graphic  of  all  Mark's  descrip- 
tions. It  bears  in  every  line  the  marks  of  a  transcript  from  the 
report  of  a  keen  and  interested  eye-witness. 

53.  And  when  they  had  crossed  over,  they  came  to  the  land 
unto  Gennesaret.  It  may  also  be,  as  it  is  given  in  the  margin  of 
the  R.  V.,  '  and  when  they  had  crossed  over  to  the  land,  they  came 
unto  Gennesaret.'  So  the  place  where  they  landed  at  last  is 
recorded  by  Mark  to  have  been  neither  the  Bethsaida  to  which 
Luke  tells  us  Jesus  had  withdrawn  with  the  disciples  (ix.  10),  nor 
the  Capernaum  to  which  John  tells  us  they  were  going  over  the 
sea  (vi.  17),  but  a  place  some  miles  south  of  both.  They  had  been 
driven  so  far  out  of  their  course.  This  Gennesaret,  from  which 
the  lake  seems  to  have  taken  one  of  its  names,  is  supposed  to  be 
the  modern  el-Ghuiveir,  a  charming  plain  on  the  western  side, 
some  two-and-a-half  or  three  miles  long  and  a  little  more  than 
a  mile  broad.  '  Such  is  the  fertility  of  the  soil,1  says  Josephus, 
4  that  it  rejects  no  plant,  and  accordingly  all  are  here  cultivated 


ST.  MARK  6.  54—7.   i  197 

land  unto  Gennesaret,  and  moored  to  the  shore.     And  54 
when  they  were  come  out  of  the  boat,  straightway  the 
people  knew  him,  and  ran  round  about  that  whole  region,  55 
and  began  to  carry  about  on  their  beds  those  that  were 
sick,  where  they  heard  he  was.      And  wheresoever  he  56 
entered,  into  villages,  or  into  cities,  or  into  the  country, 
they  laid  the  sick  in  the  marketplaces,  and  besought 
him  that  they  might  touch  if  it  were  but  the  border 
of  his  garment :    and  as  many  as   touched   him  were 
made  whole. 

And  there  are  gathered  together  unto  him  the  Pharisees,  7 
and  certain  of  the  scribes,  which  had  come  from  Jerusalem, 

by  the  husbandman,  for  so  genial  is  the  air  that  it  suits  every 
variety.  The  walnut,  which  delights  beyond  other  trees  in  a 
wintry  climate,  grows  here  luxuriantly,  together  with  the  palm 
which  is  nourished  by  the  heat,  and  near  to  these  are  figs  and 
olives  to  which  a  milder  atmosphere  has  been  assigned.'  He 
speaks  also  in  glowing  terms  of  the  *  fruits  of  opposite  climes,'  of 
which  it  '  maintains  a  continuous  supply.'  '  Thus  it  produces,' 
he  proceeds,  '  those  most  royal  of  all,  the  grape  and  the  fig,  during 
ten  months,  without  intermission,  while  the  other  varieties  ripen 
the  year  round  ;  for  besides  being  favoured  by  the  genial  tempera- 
ture of  the  air,  it  is  irrigated  by  a  highly  fertilizing  spring,  called 
Capharnaum  by  the  people  of  the  country  '  {Jewish  War,  iii.  x.  8). 
moored  :  the  only  occurrence  of  this  word  in  Scripture. 

55.  beds :  that  is,  pallets. 

56.  border  of  bis  garment :  see  on  ch.  v.  27. 

The  paragraph  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  rapidity  with  which 
the  news  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  spread,  the  intense  faith  of  the 
people  in  his  power  to  heal,  and  the  eagerness  with  which  he  was 
welcomed  alike  in  town  and  country. 

vii.  1-23.  Questions  regarding  washings :  cf.  Matt.  xv.  1-9. 
The  fact  that  the  disciples  of  Jesus  were  observed  to  eat  without 
performing  the  usual  ceremonial  ablutions  was  made  a  matter  of 
complaint.  Jesus  uses  the  occasion  to  expose  the  false  ideas  that 
were  current  on  the  questions  of  tradition  and  defilement. 

1.  certain  of  tbe  scribes,  wbicb  bad  come  from  Jerusalem. 
These  have  been  mentioned  in  iii.  22.  An  opportunity  for  trying 
him  again  with  entangling  questions  is  furnished  by  something 
they  had  seen  his  disciples  do.  On  what  occasion  they  had 
observed  the  practice  in  question  is  not  stated. 


1 98  ST.  MARK  7.  2-4 

2  and  had  seen  that  some  of  his  disciples  ate  their  bread 

3  with  defiled,  that  is,  unwashen,  hands.  For  the  Pharisees, 
and  all  the  Jews,  except  they  wash  their  hands  diligently, 

4  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of  the  elders :  and  when 
they  come  from  the  marketplace,  except  they  wash  them- 
selves, they  eat  not :  and  many  other  things  there  be, 
which  they  have  received  to  hold,  washings  of  cups,  and 

2.  defiled  (or,  common),  that  is,  unwashen,  hands.  Mark 
explains  the  technical  Jewish  term  for  the  sake  of  his  Gentile 
readers.  What  is  in  view  is  the  traditional  ceremonial  ablution,  to 
which  great  importance  was  attached. 

3.  the  Pharisees,  and  all  the  Jews.  This  is  the  only  instance 
in  which  the  term  'the  Jews'  is  used  by  itself  in  Mark,  although 
we  have  also  the  designation  'the  King  of  the  Jews.'  In  John's 
Gospel  it  has  the  more  definite  sense  of  Jews  as  opposed  to 
Christians,  and  in  particular,  the  scribes,  priests,  members  of 
the  council,  and  official  classes  generally  as  representatives  of  the 
absolute  hostility  of  the  nation  to  Christ  and  his  followers.  It  is 
possible  that  it  has  something  approaching  that  sense  here.  But 
more  probably  it  is  a  large  and  general  application  of  the  ordinary 
sense,  indicating  that  the  practice,  which  had  begun  with  the  rigid 
Pharisees,  had  got  hold  of  the  mass  of  the  people. 

diligently :  the  word  is  a  difficult  one,  and  is  variously 
rendered  'frequently,'  'up  to  the  elbow,'  'to  the  wrist,'  'with 
the  fist,'  &c.  According  to  the  last,  which  is  the  rendering 
preferred  by  some  of  our  best  scholars,  the  idea  is,  that  they 
performed  the  scrupulous  ceremonial  act  by  placing  the  closed  fist 
in  the  hollow  of  the  other  hand  and  rubbing  and  rolling  it  there. 

the  tradition  of  the  elders.  That  is,  the  rules  which  had 
come  down  from  the  scribes  of  ancient  times.  In  the  Gospels  the 
word  '  tradition '  occurs  only  here  and  in  the  parallel  passage  in 
Matthew.  It  means  the  collection  of  oral  interpretations  of  the 
written  Law  of  Moses  which  had  been  given  by  the  Rabbis  from 
time  to  time  and  handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another. 
Cf.  '  the  traditions  of  my  fathers  '  of  which  Paul  wrote  (Gal.  i.  14). 

4.  except  they  wash  themselves :  rather,  '  except  they  bathe 
themselves/  The  word  is  'baptize,'  a  term  always  conveying  in 
its  N.  T.  occurrences  the  idea  of  immersion.  There  were,  therefore, 
two  kinds  of  ceremonial  washing,  first  the  washing  of  the  hands, 
which  had  to  be  done  always  before  eating  ;  and  second  the  taking 
of  a  bath,  which  had  to  be  done  only  when  a  Jew  came  from  the 
'  market-place,'  where  the  number  and  the  mixture  of  people  made 
the  risk  of  defilement  so  great. 


ST.  MARK  7.  5-11  199 

pots,  and  brasen  vessels.      And  the  Pharisees  and  the  5 
scribes  ask  him,  Why  walk  not  thy  disciples  according 
to  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  but  eat  their  bread  with 
defiled  hands  ?    And  he  said  unto  them,  Well  did  Isaiah  6 
prophesy  of  you  hypocrites,  as  it  is  written, 

This  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips, 

But  their  heart  is  far  from  me. 

But  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  <j 

Teaching  as  their  doctrines  the  precepts  of  men. 
Ye  leave  the  commandment  of  God,  and  hold  fast  the  8 
tradition  of  men.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Full  well  do  9 
ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may  keep 
your  tradition.     For  Moses  said,  Honour  thy  father  and  10 
thy  mother;    and,  He  that  speaketh  evil  of  father  or 
mother,  let  him  die  the  death  :    but  ye  say,  If  a  man  n 
shall  say  to  his  father  or  his  mother,  That  wherewith 
thou  mightest  have  been  profited  by  me  is  Corban,  that 


6.  hypocrites  :  the  only  occurrence  of  this  word  in  Mark. 
this  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips.  The  quotation 
beginning  with  these  words  is  from  Isa.  xxix.  13.  It  differs  some- 
what from  the  form  it  has  in  the  O.  T.  These  hypocritical  tradi- 
tion-bound scribes  of  Christ's  day  were  like  the  Jews  of  Isaiah's 
time,  and  the  rebuke  of  the  latter  fell  upon  the  former.  In  each 
case  the  human  got  the  place  of  the  divine,  and  the  vain  thoughts 
of  narrow  precept-mongers  were  taught  as  the  doctrines  of  God. 

8.  ye  leave  the  commandment  of  God.  Not  only  did  they 
inculcate  their  own  rules  as  if  they  were  the  Divine  Law,  but  they 
forsook  the  latter  for  the  former.  These  traditional  rules,  which 
in  most  cases  •went  far  beyond  anything  contained  in  the  ordinances 
of  Moses,  came  to  be  regarded  as  of  more  importance  than  the 
written  Law  itself.  The  scribes  sought  to  justify  this  preference  by 
strained  interpretations  of  such  passages  as  Deut.  iv.  14,  xvii.  10. 

10.  Moses  said:  see  Exod.  xx.  12,  xxi.  17. 

die  the  death :  that  is,  '  surely  die,1  as  in  the  margin.  The 
quotation  expresses  the  value  which  the  Law  put  upon  that  duty 
of  children  to  parents  which  was  so  lightly  evaded. 

11.  Corban:  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  an  offering.  It  is 
explained  for  the  sake  of  non-Jewish  readers  to  mean  something 
1  given ' — something  set  apart  for  God  or  for  the  Temple.     The 


200  ST.  MARK  7.  12-19 

12  is  to  say,  Given  to  God-,  ye  no  longer  suffer  him  to  do 

13  aught  for  his  father  or  his  mother ;  making  void  the 
word  of  God  by  your  tradition,  which  ye  have  delivered  : 

14  and  many  such  like  things  ye  do.  And  he  called  to 
him  the  multitude  again,  and  said  unto  them,  Hear  me 

15  all  of  you,  and  understand:  there  is  nothing  from 
without  the  man,  that  going  into  him  can  defile  him : 
but  the  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  man  are  those 

17  that  defile  the  man.  And  when  he  was  entered  into  the 
house  from  the  multitude,  his  disciples  asked  of  him 

18  the  parable.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Are  ye  so 
without  understanding  also  ?  Perceive  ye  not,  that 
whatsoever  from  without  goeth  into  the  man,  it  cannot 

19  defile  him ;    because  it  goeth  not  into  his  heart,   but 

Law  did  not  give  offerings  the  precedence  over  moral  duties.  For 
it  had  the  Decalogue  in  its  heart.  But  the  inventions  of  the  scribes 
had  so  perverted  the  moral  intelligence  that  it  had  come  to  be  a  re- 
cognized thing  that  to  declare  any  possession  Corban  left  one  free 
to  refuse  to  use  it  for  the  help  even  of  father  or  mother. 

13.  making"  void.  A  strong  word  meaning  to  invalidate.  It 
occurs  only  in  this  paragraph,  the  corresponding  section  in 
Matthew,  and  Gal.  iii.  15,  17. 

14.  called  to  Ixim  the  multitude  again.  The  people  seem, 
therefore,  to  have  been  dismissed  or  to  have  withdrawn  for  a  time, 
while  he  spoke  the  stern  words  about  tradition  to  the  company  of 
Pharisees  and  scribes.  They  are  recalled  in  order  to  hear  a  declara- 
tion of  principle  in  which  all  required  instruction,  and  which  went 
to  the  quick  of  these  questions  of  the  clean  and  the  unclean. 

15.  nothing*  from  without  the  man  .  .  .  can  defile  him. 
He  takes  them  at  once  beyond  all  ceremonial  conditions  to  moral 
verities,  and  from  the  outward  to  the  inward.  He  enunciates 
a  general  principle  which  struck  at  the  heart  of  these  mechanical 
prescriptions  of  the  unwritten  law,  and  indeed  at  the  whole 
Levitical  system  of  distinctions  between  things  clean  and  things 
unclean  which  was  but  for  a  time. 

Verse  16  of  the  A.V.  is  omitted  by  the  R.V.  as  insufficiently 
attested. 

IV.  entered  into  the  house.  He  had  stated  the  principle 
broadly  to  the  people  without.  He  states  it  again  and  explains 
it  now  to  the  disciples  within  at  their  request. 


ST.  MARK   7.   20-22  201 

into  his  belly,  and  goeth  out  into  the  draught?     This 
he  said)  m'aking  all  meats  clean.     And  he  said,  That  20 
which  proceedeth  out  of  the  man,  that  defileth  the  man. 
For  from  within,  out  of  the  heart  of  men,  evil  thoughts  21 
proceed,  fornications,  thefts,  murders,  adulteries,  covetings,  22 
wickednesses,  deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye,  railing, 

19.  making-  all  meats  clean.  The  A.  V.  adopts  the  reading 
'  purging  all  meats,'  according  to  which  the  reference  would  be 
to  the  separation  of  all  impurities  from  the  food  which  is  effected 
by  its  being  passed  into  the  draught.  But  the  reading  of  the 
R.V.  is  the  better  supported,  and  it  also  gives  the  better  sense. 
It  makes  Jesus  the  Speaker,  and  represents  him  as  emitting  a 
great  revolutionary  declaration.  The  sentence  becomes  a  note 
explaining  that  Jesus,  in  speaking  as  he  did,  abolished  the  old 
Levitical  ideas  of  distinction,  though  the  disciples  did  not  discern 
it,  and  pronounced  all  meats  to  be  things  in  themselves  equally 
clean. 

21.  from  within,  out  of  the  heart  of  men.  Real  unclean- 
ness,  moral  defilement,  has  its  source  and  its  seat  in  the  centre  of 
the  moral  feeling  and  intelligence— the  heart. 

evil  thoughts.  The  mental  acts,  the  ideas  of  evil,  that 
precede  and  prompt  all  sinful  deeds.  Or  it  may  be  that  in  the 
'  evil  thoughts '  we  have  the  general  term,  and  that  in  the  terms 
which  follow  we  have  the  particulars — so  many  forms  of  evil  in 
which  the  *  evil  thoughts '  take  effect. 

fornications,  &c.  So  many  plural  terms  are  used  first,  de- 
noting different  acts  of  sin. 

22.  covetings.  The  Vulgate  and  Wycliffe  make  it  *  avarices.' 
The  word  is  not  to  be  limited  to  what  comes  under  the  idea  of  the 
lust  of  gold.  It  is  mentioned  not  only  along  with  thefts  and  ex- 
tortion (1  Cor.  v.  10) ;  but  also  with  sins  of  the  flesh  (1  Cor.  v.  11 ; 
Eph.  v.  3,  5;  Col.  iii.  5).  It  includes  all  forms  of  grasping  self- 
seeking  and  self-gratification. 

deceit,  &c.  Next  come  so  many  singular  terms,  expressing 
each  a  particular  disposition. 

lasciviousness.  A  strong  term,  meaning  in  classical  Greek 
insolence,  in  later  Greek  sensuality.  It  expresses  the  kind  of 
sensuality  or  wantonness  that '  shocks  public  decency '  (Lightfoot). 

an  evil  eye.     That  is,  envy. 

pride.  A  term  common  enough  in  classical  Greek,  but  in 
the  N.  T.  found  only  here,  though  the  corresponding  adjective 
occurs  repeatedly  (Luke  i.  51 ;  Rom.  i.  30  ;  2  Tim.  iii.  2  ;  James 
iv.  6  ;  1  Pet.  v.  5).  It  means  the  pride  that  is  arrogant,  such  as 
is  seen,  e.  g.  in  the  attitude  of  the  typical  Pharisee  to  other  men. 


202  ST.  MARK  7.  23,  24 

23  pride,  foolishness :    all  these  evil  things  proceed  from 
within,  and  defile  the  man. 

24  And  from  thence  he  arose,  and  went  away  into  the 
borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.     And  he  entered  into  a 

foolishness.  In  the  ethical  sense,  not  mere  lack  of  reason, 
but  moral  senselessness,  'foolishness  of  moral  practice'  (Meyer). 

Mark  enumerates  thirteen  sins,  or,  as  it  may  also  be  put,  twelve 
particular  forms  included  in  the  '  evil  thoughts.'  Matthew's  list 
contains  only  seven,  or  six  particular  forms  embraced  in  the  '  evil 
thoughts.'  Nor  are  the  forms  entirely  the  same  in  the  two  lists. 
Attempts  to  classify  them  have  been  made,  but  with  very  partial 
success. 

vii.  24-30.  The  case  of  the  Syrophcenician  woman  and  her 
daughter.  Cf.  Matt.  xv.  21-28.  The  spirit  of  hostility  is  rising, 
and  Jesus  quits  those  districts  of  Galilee  in  which  he  had  been 
moving  about  for  a  time.  But  though  he  withdraws  to  new  parts 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  scenes  of  the  events  which 
had  spread  his  fame  abroad,  he  is  not  allowed  to  remain  unnoticed 
or  unapproached.  Matthew's  report  makes  more  of  what  was 
said,  Mark's  more  of  what  was  done  on  the  occasion.  The  two 
together  give  us  a  remarkably  complete  account  of  the  incident. 

24.  the  borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Compare  Elijah's  journey 
to  'Zarephath,  which  belongeth  to  Zidon '  (1  Kings  xvii.  9,  10). 
Matthew  says,  'into  the  parts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.'  The  question 
arises — Did  Jesus  actually  cross  the  boundary  and  enter  the 
Gentile  territory?  Or  did  he  keep  on  the  Galilean  side?  Mark's 
word  '  the  borders '  may  mean  either  the  parts  touching  the  cities, 
or  the  parts  which  belonged  to  the  cities.  The  statement  in 
verse  31  that  in  leaving  '  the  borders  of  Tyre  ■  Jesus  '  came  through 
Sidon '  favours  the  former  view,  as  also  does  Matthew's  phrase  on 
the  whole.  Nor  would  there  be  anything  inconsistent  with  the 
plan  of  his  ministry  in  his  crossing  into  Gentile  territory  for  a 
space.  For  the  narratives  mean  that  it  was  with  a  view  to  retire- 
ment, and  not  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  or  of  doing  his  wonderful 
works,  that  he  came  so  far.  Such  is  implied  in  the  statement  that 
he  '  would  have  no  man  know  it '  (ver.  24). 

Tyre.  The  '  Rock,'  as  the  word  meant,  in  ancient  days  was 
'  the  merchant  of  the  peoples  unto  many  isles '  (Ezek.  xxvii.  3). 
It  was  a  fortified  city  in  Joshua's  time,  and  its  strength  is 
repeatedly  referred  to  in  the  O.  T.  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  7  ;  Isa.  xxiii.  14  ; 
Zech.  ix.  3).  The  Tyrians  were  amongst  the  most  famous  sailors 
of  the  ancient  world.  By  its  glass-work,  its  famous  dyes,  and 
its  maritime  enterprise  the  city  acquired  great  wealth.  In  our 
Lord's  time  it  was  still  a  powerful  and  populous  town.  It  was  the 
city  of  Hiram  and  of  Jezebel.     It  was  planted  in  the  Phoenician 


ST.  MARK  7.  25-27  203 

house,  and  would  have  no  man  know  it :  and  he  could 
not   be   hid.      But  straightway  a  woman,   whose   little  25 
daughter  had  an  unclean  spirit,  having  heard  of  him, 
came  and  fell  down  at  his  feet.     Now  the  woman  was  26 
a  Greek,  a  Syrophcenician  by  race.     And  she  besought 
him   that   he   would   cast   forth   the   devil   out   of  her 
daughter.     And  he  said  unto  her,  Let  the  children  first  27 
be  filled :  for  it  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread 

plain  between  Zidon  and  Acre.     Nothing  remains  of  it  but  some 
ruins  on  which  a  poor  modern  town  is  built. 

Sidon :  or  'Zidon,'  '  Fishtown,'  the  rival  of  Tyre,  situated 
about  twenty  miles  north  of  that  city  and  about  the  same  distance 
south  of  Beyrout.  Zidon,  originally  a  fishing  village,  rose  to  the 
proud  position  of  a  great  commercial  city  before  Tyre  became 
of  importance,  and  in  Isaiah  the  latter  is  spoken  of  as  '  the 
daughter  of  Zidon  '  (xxiii.  12).  But  the  power  had  passed  from 
Zidon  to  Tyre  by  Solomon's  day  at  least,  and  the  latter  became 
'the  mart  of  nations'  (Isa.  xxiii.  3).  Men  of  Tyre  and  Sidon 
were  among  those  who  came  to  Jesus  at  the  sea  in  his  early 
ministry  (Mark  iii.  8).  The  two  cities  appear  in  the  story  of 
Herod  in  Acts  (xii.  20).  Paul  touched  at  Sidon  on  his  voyage  to 
Italy  (Acts  xxvii.  3). 

25.  straightway.  The  fame  of  Jesus  had  penetrated  even 
into  Phoenicia,  so  much  so  that  at  once  when  it  became  known 
that  he  had  come  to  those  distant  parts  the  seclusion  which  he 
sought  was  broken  in  upon  by  a  suppliant. 

26.  a  Greek,  a  Syrophcsnician.  Matthew  describes  her  as 
'  a  Canaanitish  woman.'  The  designations  express  her  connexions 
by  religion  and  by  race.  As  a  'Greek'  she  was  a  Gentile;  as 
a  Canaanite  she  was  of  the  stock  of  the  doomed  race  that  was 
dispossessed  by  Israel ;  as  a  '  Syro-Phoenician '  she  belonged  to 
the  Phoenicians  of  the  Roman  province  of  Syria,  as  distinguished 
from  the  Libo-Phoenicians  or  Liby-Phcenicians,  the  Phoenicians 
of  Libya  on  the  Punic  or  Carthaginian  coast.  The  conjunction  of 
the  words  also  suggests  that  the  woman,  though  a  Phoenician, 
spoke  Greek. 

besought  him.  Matthew  tells  us  how  she  adjured  him  by 
the  title  '  Son  of  David '  to  have  mercy  on  her.  Intercourse  with 
the  Jews  of  the  vicinity  had  made  her  acquainted  no  doubt  with 
their  Messianic  expectations  generally,  and  with  this  Messianic 
name  in  particular. 

27.  let  the  children  first  he  filled.  So  he  enunciates  the 
principle  on  which  his  own  mission  was   to    proceed,   and   on 


204  ST.  MARK   7.  28-30 

28  and  cast  it  to  the  dogs.  But  she  answered  and  saith 
unto  him,  Yea,   Lord :    even  the  dogs  under  the  table 

29  eat  of  the  children's  crumbs.  And  he  said  unto  her, 
For  this  saying  go  thy  way ;   the  devil  is  gone  out  of 

30  thy  daughter.  And  she  went  away  unto  her  house, 
and  found  the  child  laid  upon  the  bed,  and  the  devil 
gone  out. 

which  the  Apostles  also  acted  subsequently — '  to  the  Jew  first.' 
But  while  the  Jew  had  the  first  claim  it  did  not  follow  that  he  had 
the  only  claim.     It  was  '  also  to  the  Greek.' 

dogs.  In  Scripture  the  dog  is  seldom,  if  ever,  mentioned, 
but  in  terms  of  contempt.  Evil  qualities,  cowardliness,  treachery, 
laziness,  filthiness,  and  the  like  are  always  associated  with  him. 
It  is  the  street  dog  that  is  in  view,  the  outcast  animal  that 
infested  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  East.  (Cf.  such  passages 
as  Deut.  xxiii.  18  ;  Job  xxx.  1 ;  2  Kings  viii.  13  ;  Phil.  hi.  2  ;  Rev. 
xxii.  15).  The  ancient  Jew  spoke  of  the  heathen  as  dogs. 
Here,  however,  it  is  not  the  usual  term  for  '  dogs  '  that  is  used, 
but  a  diminutive  form  which  softens  the  harshness  of  the  words 
and  points  to  the  little  house-dogs  that  might  be  about,  and  most 
naturally  under  the  table.  This  is  the  more  likely,  because  our 
Lord  speaks  in  terms  of  a  family  meal. 

28.  Yea,  Lord:  even  the  dog's  under  the  table  eat  of  the 
children's  crumbs.  It  is  as  if  she  said — '  I  grant,  Lord,  that  the 
meal  is  for  the  family,  and  that  the  children  must  be  fed.  But 
are  not  the  dogs  also  of  the  house,  and  is  there  not  also 
something  for  them  in  their  turn  ? '  She  does  not  think  of 
contradicting  Jesus,  but  accepts  what  he  says  as  true,  and 
turns  it  into  an  argument  in  favour  of  her  appeal. 

29.  Por  this  saying*.  Her  words  expressed  a  confidence  in 
him  so  assured  that  it  could  not  contemplate  denial.  In  Matthew 
the  greatness  of  her  faith  is  explicitly  mentioned  as  the  reason 
for  Christ's  compliance. 

found  the  child  laid  upon  the  bed,  and  the  devil  (demon) 
gone  out.  Her  faith  had  its  reward.  The  evil  spirit  was  gone, 
though  the  child  was  not  yet  recovered  from  the  exhaustion  of 
the  possession.  So  in  the  case  of  the  nobleman's  son,  the  '  fever 
left  him  '  and  he  '  began  to  amend  '  (John  iv.  52). 

Matthew's  account  is  fuller  at  some  points,  giving  e.  g.  the  several 
stages  in  the  trial  of  the  woman's  faith.  It  shews  how  Jesus  met 
her  first  by  silence  (xv.  23),  then  by  refusal  (xv.  24),  and  finally, 
by  seeming  reproach  (xv.  26).  This  miracle  has  some  special  notes 
of  interest.     It  was  done  on  the  ground  of  the  faith,  not  of  the 


ST.  MARK   7.  31-33  205 

And  again  he  went  out  from  the  borders  of  Tyre,  and  31 
came  through  Sidon  unto  the  sea  of  Galilee,  through  the 
midst  of  the  borders  of  Decapolis.     And  they  bring  unto  32 
him  one  that  was  deaf,  and  had  an  impediment  in  his 
speech ;   and  they  beseech  him  to  lay  his  hand  upon 
him.      And    he   took    him    aside  from   the    multitude  33 
privately,   and   put   his   fingers   into   his   ears,    and   he 

sufferer  herself,  but  of  her  mother.  It  is  also  one  of  the  three 
instances  of  healing  effected  at  a  distance.  The  others  are  the 
nobleman's  son  (John  iv.  46-54)  and  the  centurion's  servant 
(Luke  vii.  1-10). 

vii.  31-37.  Healing  of  a  deaf  man  with  ait  impediment  in  his 
speech.  This  narrative  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  Matthew  attaches  to  his 
account  of  the  Syro-Phcenician  woman  only  a  general  statement 
regarding  the  departure  of  Jesus,  and  the  multitudes  healed  by 
him  (xv.  29-31). 

31.  through  Sidon  unto  the  sea  of  Galilee.  Leaving  the 
neighbourhood  of  Tyre  he  made  his  way  back  to  the  familiar 
Lake.  But  he  did  this  by  a  peculiar  course,  the  reason  for 
which  is  not  stated.  He  travelled  first  in  a  northerly  direction 
by  the  coast-line,  and  (as  is  indicated  by  the  reading  rightly  adopted 
by  the  R.  V.,  though  not  by  the  A.V.)  passed  through  the  Gentile 
city  of  Sidon.  From  these  parts  he  took  his  journey  across  to  the 
Sea  of  Galilee — to  the  eastern  side  of  the  Jordan  and  again  into  the 
region  of  Decapolis.  This  meant  a  considerable  detour.  But  modern 
travellers  tell  us  that  there  was  a  road  from  Sidon  to  Damascus, 
leading  over  the  hills,  across  the  Leontes,  and  by  the  Lebanon. 

32.  they  bring"  unto  him  one  that  was  deaf.  Jesus  had 
been  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Decapolis  before,  and  had  been 
asked  to  quit  it  (v.  1-20).  Returning  now  he  is  received  in 
a  different  manner.  The  healing  of  the  deaf  was  one  of  the 
signs  of  his  Messiahship  to  which  he  pointed  John's  disciples 
(Matt.  xi.  5).  It  was  a  note  of  the  same  in  ancient  prophecy 
(Isa.  xxxv.  5,  xlii.  18). 

an  impediment  in  his  speech.     Not  only  deaf,  but  a  deaf- 
mute,  or,  if  not  absolutely  dumb,  incapable  of  speaking  intelligibly. 

33.  took  him  aside.  For  the  most  part,  the  works  of  Jesus 
were  done  in  the  sight  of  all.  But  there  were  cases,  of  which 
this  was  one,  in  which  they  were  done  apart,  and  with  more  or 
less  privacy.  There  were  no  doubt  special  reasons  for  this  in  each 
rase  in  the  circumstances  or  the  mental  condition  of  the  subject 
or  in  the  attitude  of  the  people  to  the  Healer  and  his  mission. 

put  his  fingers  into  his  ears.     Rather  '  thrust '  them  in. 


206  ST.  MARK  7.  34-37 

34  spat,  and  touched  his  tongue ;  and  looking  up  to  heaven, 
he  sighed,  and  saith  unto  him,  Ephphatha,  that  is,  Be 

35  opened.     And  his  ears  were  opened,  and  the  bond  of 

36  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and  he  spake  plain.  And  he 
charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  :  but  the 
more  he  charged  them,  so  much  the  more  a  great  deal 

37  they  published  it.  And  they  were  beyond  measure 
astonished,  saying,  He  hath  done  all  things  well :  he 
maketh  even  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 

It  was  a  sign  of  what  he  was  to  do,  suitable  to  the  man's  state 
of  mind  and  fixing  his  attention. 

spat :  spittle  was  thought  to  have  medicinal  virtue,  and  was 
often  accompanied  by  magical  formulas.  Here  it  is  simply  the 
medium  of  the  healing  power  (as  was  the  case  with  the  oil, 
vi.   13),  or  a  second  visible  sign  to  help  the  man's  faith. 

34.  looking1  up :  as  in  the  case  of  the  Five  Thousand  (vi.  41). 
sighed:    or  'groaned.'     This  is  the  only  occurrence  of  the 

word  in  the  Gospels.  It  is  found  also  in  the  Epistles  ;  e.  g.  in 
Rom.  viii.  23;  2  Cor.  v.  2,  4,  where  it  is  rendered  'groan.'  It 
expresses  Christ's  deep,  pained  sympathy. 

Ephphatha:  another  of  the  Lord's  words  which  Mark  got 
from  Peter  and  treasured  up  in  the  vernacular. 

35.  spake  plain :  what  he  said  is  not  recorded.  The  significant 
fact  was  that  he  could  speak,  not  with  stuttering  sounds,  but 
articulately  and  at  once. 

36.  the  more  a  great  deal  they  published  it :  the  injunction 
to  silence  had  been  earnestly  and  repeatedly  laid  upon  them. 
In  their  excitement  they  disregarded  it,  and  the  more  the  charge 
was  urged  the  more  did  it  stimulate  their  zeal  to  proclaim  the 
work.  '  The  conduct  of  the  multitude  is  a  good  example  of  the 
way  in  which  men  treat  Jesus,  yielding  him  all  homage,  except 
obedience1  (Gould). 

37.  beyond  measure :  a  very  strong  word,  of  which  this 
is  the  one  occurrence  in  the  N.  T.  The  impression  produced  in 
all  cases  by  our  Lord's  mighty  works  was  in  this  case,  and  among 
these  half-pagan  people,  far  greater  than  ever. 

He  hath  done  all  things  well :  '  he  has  been  gracious 
everywhere  and  successful  in  everything'  (Clarke). 

This  miracle  is  remarkable  not  only  for  the  comparative  privacy 
in  which  it  was  performed  and  the  manifestation  of  the  Healer's 
feelings  which  accompanied  it,  but  for  the  use  of  tangible  signs 
and  the  gradual  way  in  which  it  was  done,  by  so  many  distinct 


ST.  MAi'K   8.   1,2  207 

In  those  days,  when  there  was  again  a  great  multitude,  8 
and  they  had  nothing  to  eat,  he  called  unto  him  his 
disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  I   have  compassion  on  a 

acts— taking  the  man  aside,  putting  the  fingers  into  his  ears, 
applying  spittle,  touching  the  tongue,  and  then  the  upturned  look, 
the  groaning,  and  finally  the  short  word  of  command. 

viii.  1-10.    The  feeding  of  the  Four  Thojtsand  :  cf.  Matt.  xv.  32-39. 
In  contrast  with  the  fourfold  narrative  in  the  former  miracle  of 
feeding,  we  have  in  the   present  case  only  the  twofold  record. 
The  question  arises  whether  this  narrative  is  only  another  form 
of  that  of  the  Five  Thousand,  or  the  report  of  a  distinct  occurrence. 
It  is  held  by  some  that  the  narratives  in  Matthew  and  Mark  are 
simply  duplicate  accounts,  with  some  natural  differences  in   the 
details,  of  one  and  the  same  work.     Others  think  that  there  were 
two  distinct  incidents  of  miraculous  feeding,  much  the  same  in 
character,  but  that  in  the  primitive  tradition  the  reports  of  these 
became  to  some  extent  assimilated.     The  chief  reasons  urged  in 
support  of  the  duplicate  theory  are  the  general  resemblances  of 
the  two  accounts,  the  difficulty  felt  by  the  disciples  (viii.  4),  and 
the  fact    that    they  betray   no  recollection   of  a  previous   work 
of  the  same  kind.      But  there  are  weightier  considerations  on 
the  other    side.      There  are,    e.g.,   several   points  of  difference 
between  the  two  narratives.     The  numbers  fed  in  the  one  case 
are  5,000,  in   the  other  4,000.      In    the  one  case  we  have  five 
loaves  and  two  fishes,  in  the  other  seven  loaves  and  a  few  fishes. 
In  the  one  case  twelve  baskets  were  filled  with  the  fragments,  in 
the    other    seven.      The    particular    kind    of   basket    mentioned 
is  also  different  in  the  two  narratives.     In  the  case  of  the  Five 
Thousand  it  is  the  small  wicker  basket,  in  that  of  the  Four  Thou- 
sand it  is  the  large  rope-basket.      Further,  in  the  one  the  people 
concerned  are  the  men  of  the  coast-villages  of  the  north,  in  the 
other  they  are  the  men  of  Decapolis  and  the  eastern  side.     In  the 
case  of  the  Five  Thousand  the  people  were  demonstrative  and 
would  have  made  Jesus  a  king  (John  vi.  15),  but  in  that  of  the 
Four  Thousand  nothing  is  said  of  any  such  excitement.     It  may 
also  be  said  that,  as  the  works  of  Jesus  were  done  for  the  relief 
of  human  ills  and  needs,  and  as  these  ills  and  needs  met  him  in 
the  same  forms  on  different  occasions,  there  could  be  no  reason 
in   the   nature  of  things   why  the   same  miracle   might  not   be 
wrought   on    more   than   one  occasion.      Here,   too,   Jesus  was 
among  a  different  people,  and  a  people  in  a  new  mental  attitude 
to  him.     The  Evangelist  says  simply  and  distinctly  that  there  was 
'  again  a  great  multitude,  and  they  had   nothing  to  eat.'     Why 
should  we  not  accept  his  statement  ? 


208  ST.  MARK   8.  3-9 

the  multitude,  because  they  continue  with  me  now  three 

3  days,  and  have  nothing  to  eat :  and  if  I  send  them  away 
fasting  to  their  home,  they  will  faint  in  the  way;   and 

4  some  of  them  are  come  from  far.  And  his  disciples 
answered  him,  Whence  shall  one  be  able  to  fill  these 

5  men  with  bread  here  in  a  desert  place?  And  he  asked 
them,  How  many  loaves  have  ye  ?    And  they  said,  Seven. 

6  And  he  commandeth  the  multitude  to  sit  down  on  the 
ground  :  and  he  took  the  seven  loaves,  and  having  given 
thanks,  he  brake,  and  gave  to  his  disciples,  to  set  before 

7  them ;  and  they  set  them  before  the  multitude.  And 
they  had  a  few  small  fishes :  and  having  blessed  them, 

8  he  commanded  to  set  these  also  before  them.  And  they 
did  eat,  and  were  filled:   and  they  took  up,  of  broken 

9  pieces  that  remained  over,  seven  baskets.  And  they 
were  about  four  thousand:    and   he  sent  them  away. 

2.  three  days.  By  which  time  they  had  consumed  all  the  food 
they  had  brought.  Their  eagerness  to  be  with  Jesus  was  bringing 
them  into  straits,  and  his  compassion  was  roused,  all  the  more 
because  some  had  far  to  go  before  they  could  reach  their  homes. 

4.  Whence  shall  one  he  ahle  to  fill  these  men  with  bread?  The 
deficiencies  of  the  disciples  are  never  concealed.  Their  question 
betrayed  their  forgetfulness  and  the  little  they  had  yet  learned. 
It  is  to  be  noticed  also  that  it  is  not  quite  the  same  as  their 
question  on  the  previous  occasion.  Then  their  difficulty  was 
about  the  large  sum  of  money  that  would  be  needed  to  purchase 
provisions.  Here  it  is  the  difficulty  of  finding  anywhere  in  the 
sparsely-peopled  district  in  which  they  were  now  a  sufficient 
supply  for  such  a  multitude  of  mouths. 

6.  he  commandeth  the  multitude  to  sit  down.  On  this 
occasion  he  gives  his  instructions  not  to  the  disciples,  but  directly 
to  the  people  themselves.  Neither  is  there  any  reference  now  to 
the  green  grass.     They  are  seated  '  on  the  ground.' 

8.  seven  baskets.  The  basket  used  on  this  occasion  was  a  sort 
of  hamper,  a  plaited  basket  of  reeds  or  rope.  It  might  be  of 
considerable  size,  large  enough  indeed  to  hold  a  man.  It  was  in 
a  basket  of  this  kind  that  Paul  was  lowered  '  down  through  the 
wall '  at  Damascus  (Acts  ix.  25). 

9.  four  thousand.  As  in  the  previous  case  Matthew  adds 
1  beside  women  and  children.' 


ST.  MARK  8.  10-12  209 

And  straightway  he  entered  into  the  boat  with  his  disciples,  10 
and  came  into  the  parts  of  Dalmanutha. 

And  the  Pharisees  came  forth,  and  began  to  question  11 
with  him,  seeking  of  him  a  sign  from  heaven,  tempting 
him.    And  he  sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit,  and  saith,  Why  12 


10.  Dalmanutha.  This  is  the  only  passage  in  which  this  word 
occurs.  Matthew  says  that  Jesus  'came  into  the  borders  of 
Magadan '  (xv.  39^  ;  where  this  reading  of  the  R.  V.  is  to  be 
preferred  to  the  Magdala  of  the  A.  V.  But  we  know  about  as 
little  of  this  Magadan  as  of  Dalmanutha.  The  only  place  with 
a  name  at  all  like  Dalmanutha  is  ed-Delhemlyeh.  But  that  is  some 
five  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Lake,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Jordan  and  near  its  junction  with  the  Yarmuk.  Some  identify 
Magadan  with  Magdala.  and  so  with  el-Megdel  at  the  south  end  of 
the  Plain  of  Gennesaret.     But  that,  too,  is  uncertain. 

viii.  11-13.    Further  questions  of  the  Pltarisees  :  cf.  Matt.  xvi.  1-4. 

11.  the  Pharisees.  Matthew  says  also  the  Sadducees,  who  have 
not  appeared  as  yet  as  parties  in  any  meeting  with  Jesus.  In 
r  either  of  the  Gospels  are  we  told  from  whence,  whether  from 
their  homes  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dalmanutha  or  from  some 
more  distant  place,  these  Pharisees  came  forth.  But  Jesus  had 
been  away  for  a  time  out  of  their  parts  :  and  now  that  he  is 
back  they  resume  their  former  policy  with  him. 

a  sign  from  heaven.  They  'began'  this  policy  of  entangling 
questions  again  by  a  demand  for  a  sign.  Not  satisfied  with 
miracles  as  '  signs,1  they  ask  him  for  a  '  sign  '  of  another  kind — one 
from  heaven,  some  audible  or  visible  manifestation  unmistakably 
from  above,  something  different  from  those  works  which  were 
wrought  by  Jesus  on  earth.  They  are  not  more  explicit  as  to  the 
kind  of  sign  ;  but  they  may  have  had  in  mind  the  standing  still 
of  sun  and  moon  in  Joshua's  case,  the  thunder  and  hail  in  that 
of  Samuel,  the  rain  in  Elijah's  case  (1  Kings  xviii.  38  ;  a  Kings  i. 
10,  &c),  or  the  manna  fcf.  John  vi.  30,  &c),  or  perhaps  the 
peculiar  'sign,'  the  Bath-Kol,  the  ;  daughter  of  the  voice'  or  the 
;  daughter-voice,'  of  which  much  is  made  in  the  Rabbinical  books — 
a  heavenly  voice  which  was  supposed  to  have  come  after  the 
cessation  of  O.T.  prophecy,  and  which  conveyed  the  testimony 
of  heaven  on  special  occasions.  This  incident  is  given  by  Luke  in 
a  different  connexion  (xi.  16,  29}.  Matthew  introduces  it  in  both 
connexions  (xii.  38-41,  xvi.  1-4). 

tempting'.     That  is,  putting  him  to  the  test. 

12.  sighed  deeply,  or,  '  groaned  deeply.'  An  intensive  form 
of  the  verb,  occurring  only  here.    What  moved  him  thus  painfull}- 


2io  ST.  MARK  8.  13-15 

doth  this  generation  seek  a  sign  ?  verily  I  say  unto  you, 

13  There  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  this  generation.  And 
he  left  them,  and  again  entering  into  the  boat  departed  to 
the  other  side. 

14  And  they  forgot  to  take  bread ;  and  they  had  not  in  the 

15  boat  with  them  more  than  one  loaf.  And  he  charged  them, 
saying,  Take  heed,  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees 

was  the  hardened  attitude  of  these  Pharisees,  which  betokened  the 
final  separation  between  them  and  him,  and  the  results  thereof. 

13.  lie  left  them.  He  refused  them  the  kind  of  sign  they 
sought,  and  turned  away  from  them,  recognizing  that  his  ministry 
could  have  no  success  with  such  as  they. 

to  the  other  side.  Our  ignorance  of  the  position  of  Dal- 
manutha  leaves  it  uncertain  whether  this  was  to  the  eastern  side 
or  to  the  western.  Only  we  see  that  they  came  by-and-by  to 
Bethsaida  (viii.  22). 

viii.  14-21.  Warning  against  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  the 
leaven  of  Herod.     Cf.  Matt.  xvi.  5-12. 

14.  they  forgot  to  take  bread.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  disciples', 
and  more  particularly  of  Judas  the  purse-bearer,  to  see  to  the 
provision  needed  for  a  journey.  But  they  had  omitted  to  do  so. 
Perhaps  their  forgetfulness  was  due  to  the  haste  of  their  departure . 
Matthew's  account  might  suggest  that  it  was  when  they  arrived 
that  they  overlooked  this  plain  duty.  It  is  only  Mark  who  notices 
that  all  they  had  by  them  was  a  single  loaf. 

15.  charged  them.  The  tense  in  the  original  indicates  either 
that  he  proceeded  to  do  this  while  they  were  crossing,  or  that  he 
did  it  once  and  again. 

the  leaven.  The  use  of  leaven  during  Passover  and  in  con- 
nexion with  certain  offerings  (Lev.  ii.  11)  was  strictly  forbidden 
by  the  law.  As  a  thing  that  was  to  be  purged  out,  it  readily 
became  a  figure  of  what  was  evil  or  corrupt.  Only  once  in  the 
N.  T.  is  it  used  in  the  neutral  sense,  viz.  in  the  Parable  of  the 
Leaven.  Otherwise  it  is  a  figure  of  evil,  and  more  particularly  of 
secret,  penetrating,  insidious  evil  (1  Cor.  v.  6,  7,  8  ;  Gal.  v.  9). 
The  explanation  given  by  Matthew  (xvi.  12)  suggests  that  what 
Jesus  had  specially  in  view  on  this  occasion  was  the  insidious 
influence  of  corrupt  teaching. 

of  the  Pharisees  and  the  leaven  of  Herod.  The  repetition 
of  the  word  i leaven'  indicates  that  two  distinct  kinds  of  evil 
influence  are  referred  to.  In  Matthew  it  is  the  leaven  of  'the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees.'  But  the  leaven  of  Herod  would  be 
akin  to  that  of  the  Sadducees.  The  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  would 


ST.  MARK  8.  16-20  211 

and  the  leaven  of  Herod.     And  they  reasoned  one  with  16 
another,  saying,  We  have  no  bread.   And  Jesus  perceiving  17 
it  saith  unto  them,  Why  reason  ye,  because  ye  have  no 
bread  ?  do  ye  not  yet  perceive,  neither  understand  ?  have 
ye  your  heart  hardened  ?    Having  eyes,  see  ye  not  ?  and  18 
having  ears,  hear  ye  not?   and  do  ye  not  remember? 
When  I  brake  the  five  loaves  among  the  five  thousand,  19 
how  many  baskets  full  of  broken   pieces  took  ye  up? 
They   say   unto   him,   Twelve.      And   when   the   seven  20 
among  the  four  thousand,  how  many  basketfuls  of  broken 

be  the  influence  of  their  religious  arrogance,  their  formalism,  and 
the  like,  but  here  particularly  that  of  their  narrow,  rigorous, 
unspiritual  teaching.  The  leaven  of  Herod  would  be  the  pernicious 
influence  of  the  worldliness  and  licence  that  go  with  unbelief. 

16.  reasoned.  They  kept  talking  with  each  other  about  the 
Lord's  warning,  but  took  him  to  speak  only  of  their  neglect  to 
have  bread  with  them. 

\*7.  do  ye  not  yet  perceive,  neither  understand?  There  is 
a  tone  of  reproach  or  censure  in  the  question.  Even  after  all 
that  they  had  witnessed  they  had  not  yet  learned  to  reflect  and 
take  in  the  real  meaning  of  things.  In  Matthew  (xvi.  8)  it  is  the 
defect  of  their  faith  that  is  made  prominent.  What  they  had 
already  seen  him  do  in  supplying  need  should  have  taught  them 
to  trust  him  more,  and  not  to  let  their  thoughts  run  as  they  had 
been  doing  on  this  lack  of  provision. 

18.  Having1  eyes,  see  ye  not?  The  best  arrangement  of  the 
clauses  in  verses  18,  19  probably  is  this — '  Having  eyes,  see  ye  not, 
and  having  ears  hear  ye  not  ?  And  do  you  not  remember,  when 
I  broke  the  five  loaves  among  the  five  thousand,  how  many  baskets 
full  of  fragments  you  took  up  ? ' 

19.  "baskets  full.  The  narrative,  in  its  references  to  the  two 
miracles,  carefully  preserves  the  distinctions  between  the  five 
thousand  and  the  four  thousand,  and  between  the  five  fishes  and 
the  seven,  and  (what  is  more  remarkable)  between  the  kinds  of 
basket  used  on  the  two  several  occasions,  as  brought  out  in  the 
separate  accounts  already  given.  The  R.  V.  calls  attention  to  this 
last  fact  by  giving  the  rendering  'baskets  full '  in  verse  19  (with 
reference  to  the  wicker  basket  in  the  case  of  the  five  thousand), 
and  the  rendering  '  basketfuls '  in  verse  20  with  reference  to 
the  larger  basket  or  hamper  in  the  case  of  the  four  thousand. 
Wycliffe's  translation  is  curious.  He  gives  '  coffens  ful  of  broken 
mete '  in  the  one  case,  and  '  lepis  of  broken  mete  '  in  the  other. 

P  2 


212  ST.  MARK  8.  21,22 

21  pieces  took  ye  up?  And  they  say  unto  him,  Seven.  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Do  ye  not  yet  understand  ? 

32  And  they  come  unto  Bethsaida.  And  they  bring 
to  him  a  blind  man,  and  beseech  him  to  touch  him. 

21.  do  ye  not  yet  understand  ?  Even  after  their  experience  of 
these  two  miracles  they  had  remained  obtuse,  and  had  learned 
neither  to  trust  him  better  nor  to  take  in  the  real  meaning  of  his 
words.  Matthew's  account  is  more  detailed  and  explanatory  at 
this  point.  It  gives  the  question  of  Jesus  in  a  fuller  form,  and  it 
states  that  at  last  the  disciples  did  come  to  see  that  in  speaking  to 
them  of  the  leaven  he  had  the  corrupt  teaching  of  the  Jewish  sects 
in  view,  not  the  mere  matter  of  bread  (xvi.  n,  12). 

viii.  22-26.  Restoration  of  sight  to  a  blind  man  at  Betlisaida. 
The  second  of  the  two  miracles  which  are  recorded  only  by  Mark. 
In  this  case,  as  in  the  former  (^the  healing  of  the  deaf-mute  in 
Decapolis),  the  miracle  is  done  apart  from  the  multitude,  in 
a  gradual  way,  and  with  the  help  of  tangible  means. 

22.  unto  Bethsaida.  They  had  come  to  'the  other  side'  from 
Dalmanutha.  But  as  the  position  of  Dalmanutha  is  unknown,  the 
question  is  left  so  far  open  as  to  whether  this  Bethsaida  is  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  lake  or  on  the  western.  As  Jesus  pro- 
ceeded from  this  Bethsaida  to  '  the  villages  of  Caesarea  Philippi,' 
it  is  probably  Bethsaida  Julias,  on  the  north-eastern  shore,  that 
is  meant.  It  is  objected  that  Bethsaida  Julias  was  a  city,  whereas 
this  Bethsaida  is  called  a  'village.'  But  the  elevation  of  the 
north-eastern  town  to  the  rank  of  a  city  was  of  recent  date,  and 
the  old  familiar  title  may  have  survived  among  the  people. 

a  blind  man.  So  far  as  Mark's  record  goes,  this  is  the  first 
case  of  the  kind  brought  to  Jesus.  Mark  also  reports  the  case 
of  Bartimaeus  (x.  46,  &c.)  Each  of  the  Gospels  selects  one  or 
more  out  of  the  number  of  such  miracles  for  detailed  narration. 
Matthew,  e.  g.  records  the  instances  of  the  two  blind  men  in  the 
house  (ix.  27-31),  and  the  two  blind  men  near  Jericho  (xx.  30-34); 
Luke  that  of  the  blind  beggar  at  Jericho  (xviii.  35-43)  ;  John  that 
of  the  man  born  blind  (ix.  1-41).  But  that  Jesus  did  many  more 
works  of  healing  in  the  case  of  the  infirmity  of  blindness  than  are 
reported  at  length  in  the  Gospels  appears  from  the  briefer  accounts 
of  the  possessed  man  who  was  both  blind  and  dumb  (Matt.  xii.  22), 
and  the  blind  and  lame  whom  he  healed  in  the  temple  (Matt.  xxi. 
14),  and  from  the  reference  made  by  Jesus  to  the  blind  receiving 
their  sight  in  his  answer  to  John's  disciples  (Matt.  xi.  5  ; 
Luke  vii.   21). 

Blindness  and  ophthalmia  have  always  been  commoner  troubles  in 
the  East  than  in  the  West.  The  conditions  of  climate  and  life  account 


ST.  MARK   8.  23-25  213 

And  he  took  hold  of  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  and  23 
brought  him  out  of  the  village  ;   and  when  he  had  spit 
on  his  eyes,  and  laid  his  hands   upon  him,   he  asked 
him,  Seest  thou  aught?     And  he  looked  up,  and  said,  24 
I  see  men ;  for  I  behold  them  as  trees,  walking.     Then  25 

for  this.  The  Mosaic  law  had  special  provisions  for  the  protection 
of  the  blind  (Lev.  xix.  14  ;  Deut.  xxvii.  18).  The  word  'blind'  or 
'  blindness  '  occurs  no  less  than  thirty-six  times  in  the  literal  sense 
in  the  N.  T.,  not  to  speak  of  its  figurative  use.  Sightless,  blear- 
eyed,  fly-infected,  miserable  men  and  women  often  confront  one 
in  Syrian  towns  and  villages,  and  make  one  of  the  most  distressing 
spectacles  in  Eastern  life. 

23.  took  hold.  The  deaf-mute  was  taken  aside  ;  the  blind  man 
is  led  by  the  hand. 

out  of  the  village.  At  this  period  of  his  ministry  Jesus 
seems  to  have  taken  special  precautions  against  a  publicity  which 
might  prejudice  his  work  or  drive  it  to  a  premature  issue.  But  in 
taking  this  man  so  carefully  and  deliberately  apart  from  the  noisy, 
excitable  crowd  he  had  regard  also,  as  the  injunction  in  ver.  26 
suggests,  to  the  man's  own  mental  condition. 

spit  on  his  eyes.  As  in  the  case  of  the  deaf-mute.  These 
are  the  only  two  occasions  on  which  Jesus  applies  the  moisture 
of  his  mouth  in  this  way.  '  He  links  on  his  power'  (says  Arch- 
bishop Trench)  i  to  means  already  in  use  among  men;  working 
through  these  means  something  higher  than  they  could  themselves 
have  brought  about,  and  clothing  the  supernatural  in  the  forms  of 
the  natural.  Thus  he  did,  for  example,  when  he  bade  his  disciples 
to  anoint  the  sick  with  oil — one  of  the  most  esteemed  helps  for 
healing  in  the  East.' 

laid  his  hands  upon  him.  The  appeal  had  been  that  he 
might  touch  him.  To  aid  and  stimulate  the  man's  faith,  which 
may  well  have  been  dull  and  inert,  he  responds  to  the  appeal  and 
does  even  more. 

24.  looked  up.  The  first  and  most  natural  thing  to  do  when 
such  a  question  is  put  to  him.  Instinctively  he  would  raise 
his  eyes. 

I  see  men ;  for  I  behold  them  as  trees,  walking1.  This 
rendering  of  the  R.  V.  is  better  than  that  of  the  A.  V.,  '  I  see 
men  as  trees  walking.1  which  overlooks  the  'for.'  Better  still 
is  the  rendering,  '  I  see  the  men,  for  like  trees  I  perceive  persons 
walking  about '  (Meyer\  or  '  I  see  men,  for  I  perceive  objects  like 
trees  walking  '  ( Swete).  His  answer  to  the  question  was  prompt. 
It  was  that  now  he  had  his  sight.  He  gave  his  reason  for  saying 
this,  namely,  the  fact  that  he  could  discern  large  objects  in  motion. 


214  ST.  MARK  8.  26 

again  he  laid  his  hands  upon  his  eyes;  and  he  looked 
stedfastly,  and  was  restored,  and  saw  all  things  clearly. 
26  And  he  sent  him  away  to  his  hom'e,   saying,  Do  not 
even  enter  into  the  village. 

He  judged  they  must  be  men,  though  they  looked  like  trees, 
because  they  were  walking  about.  But  his  vision  was  yet  im- 
perfect. He  did  not  see  things  distinctly  and  in  their  real  pro- 
portions. '  Certain  moving  forms  he  saw  about  him,  but  without 
the  power  of  discerning  their  shape  or  magnitude — trees  he 
should  have  accounted  them  from  their  height,  and  men  from 
their  motion '  (Trench).  Even  in  Mark's  narrative  there  is  nothing 
more  life-like,  no  more  truthful,  realistic  reproduction  of  a  scene 
than  this.  The  experience  of  the  healed  man,  the  first  rawness 
and  uncertainty  of  his  vision,  the  appearance  of  things  in  un- 
natural dimensions  and  indistinct  outline,  are  all  true  to  nature 
and  to  medical  testimony.  It  is  not  said  whether  the  man  was 
blind  from  birth  or  had  lost  his  sight.  The  description  corre- 
sponds better  perhaps  with  the  case  of  one  born  blind.  On  the 
other  hand,  what  the  man  says  about  trees  and  men  and  the  use  of 
the  word  '  restored '  might  suggest  that  once  he  had  seen,  and 
that  he  still  had  some  vague  recollections  of  the  look  of  things. 

25.  again  he  laid  his  hands  upon  his  eyes.  It  required  two 
applications  of  the  hands  before  the  cure  was  complete.  So 
gradual  was  the  work  of  restoration.  It  needed  time,  and  touch, 
and  concentrated  attention  on  the  part  of  the  subject  to  interpret 
the  new  sensations.  Archbishop  Trench  refers  to  Cheselden's 
account  of  the  cure  of  a  man  who  had  been  blind  from  birth — 
'When  he  first  saw,'  the  report  proceeds,  '  he  knew  not  the  shape 
of  anything,  nor  any  one  thing  from  another,  however  different 
in  shape  or  magnitude ;  but  being  told  what  things  were,  whose 
forms  he  before  knew  from  feeling,  he  would  carefully  observe, 
that  he  might  know  them  again.' 

he  looked  stedfastly.  The  term  here  is  the  one  which  is 
rendered  '  see  clearly '  in  our  Lord's  charge  regarding  the  beam 
and  the  mote  (Matt.  vii.  5  ;  Luke  vi.  42).  It  describes  the  act 
of  fixing  one's  eyes  on  an  object  with  the  view  of  discerning  dis- 
tinctly what  it  is. 

saw  all  thing's  clearly.  This  word  '  clearly,'  of  which  this 
is  the  only  occurrence  in  the  N.  T.,  conveys  the  idea  of  distance. 
The  cure  was  now  complete.  It  was  so  perfect  that  the  man 
could  see  things  near  and  far  distinctly. 

26.  Do  not  even  enter  into  the  village.  The  man  did  not 
belong  to  the  village.  He  had  been  brought  to  it  and  Jesus 
himself  had  led  him  out  of  it.  The  Healer  now  will  have  him  go 
at  once  to  his  home,  without  mixing  with  the  people  of  the  village 


ST.  MARK  8.  27  215 

And   Jesus   went   forth,  and   his   disciples,  into   the  27 
villages  of  Caesarea  Philippi :  and  in  the  way  he  asked 

or  so  much  as  putting  foot  within  the  place.  So  should  he  have  the 
opportunity  for  reflection  ;  while  the  risk  of  public  excitement 
and  agitation,  which  might  be  hurtful  to  the  real  objects  of  Christ's 
ministry,  would  also  be  avoided. 

viii.  27-30.  Visit  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Ccesarea  Philippi.  Cf. 
Matt.  xvi.  13-20 ;  Luke  ix.  18-21.  Here  again  we  have  the 
advantage  of  the  triple  narrative.  And  the  journey  was  a  momen- 
tous one.  It  took  Jesus  to  a  remote  and  retired  part  of  the  country, 
which  he  had  not  yet  visited  in  the  course  of  his  ministry,  and  in 
which  he  could  have  the  retirement  which  he  had  sought  in  vain 
elsewhere.  It  was  undertaken  when  opposition  was  sharpening 
and  the  crisis  of  his  life  was  drawing  on.  It  gave  him  oppor- 
tunity also  to  bring  matters  to  a  point  with  his  disciples  with 
regard  both  to  his  Person  and  to  his  Passion.  His  way  took  him 
northwards  along  the  course  of  the  Jordan,  as  far  almost  as  its 
sources,  beyond  the  waters  of  Merom  and  twenty-five  miles  or 
thereby  above  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  It  brought  him  into  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  parts  of  the  Holy  Land — a  region  of  deep 
solitudes,  where  Nature  also  is  seen  in  her  grandest  and  fairest 
forms. 

27.  Caesarea  Philippi.  So  called  to  distinguish  it  from  another 
Caesarea.  the  Ccesarea  Palestine,  or  the  '  Caesarea  on  the  Sea,'  the 
city  north  of  Jaffa  in  which  St.  Paul  was  imprisoned.  It  got  the 
name  Caesarea  in  honour  of  the  Emperor  Augustus  Caesar,  and 
the  Philippi  was  added  in  honour  of  Philip  the  tetrarch  of  Tracho- 
nitis,  who  had  rebuilt  it  and  had  made  it  splendid  with  altars,  and 
statues,  and  votive  images.  In  remote  antiquity  the  site  had 
been  occupied,  it  is  thought,  by  a  city  which  is  identified  by  some 
with  the  Baa'-Gad  of  Joshua  (xi.  17,  xii.  7,  xiii.  4),  by  others  with 
the  Baal-Hermon  of  Judges  (hi.  3)  and  1  Chronicles  (v.  23). 
Later  it  was  occupied  by  a  town  known  as  Paneas  (the  modern 
Banias)  from  the  Paneion,  a  sanctuary  of  Pan  in  a  deep  cavern 
in  the  neighbourhood  (Josephus,  Antiq.  xv.  10.  3).  Planted  at  the 
foot  of  the  Lebanon  on  a  terrace  1.150  feet  above  sea-level, 
surrounded  by  groves  of  oaks  and  poplars,  with  fertile  plains 
stretching  westwards,  and  the  snowy  Hermon  to  the  north-east, 
it  has  a  grand,  romantic  beauty  beyond  any  other  town  in  the 
land.  '  Almost  a  Syrian  Tivoli '  is  Dean  Stanley's  description  of  it. 
in  the  way  he  asked  his  disciples.  He  draws  from  them 
their  ideas  of  himself.  It  is  the  first  time  that  he  questions  the 
Twelve  directly  about  himself.  The  occasion  is  one  of  such 
solemn  moment  that  he  prepared  himself  for  it  by  prayer,  as  we 
gather  from  Luke  (ix.  18).     So  had  he  done  also  before  he  went 


216  ST.  MARK   8.  28-30 

his  disciples,  saying  unto  them,  Who  do  men  say  that 

28  I  am  ?  And  they  told  him,  saying,  John  the  Baptist :  and 

29  others,  Elijah ;  but  others,  One  of  the  prophets.  And 
he  asked  them,  But  who  say  ye  that  I  am?  Peter 
answereth  and  saith  unto   him,  Thou   art   the   Christ. 

30  And   he  charged   them  that  they  should  tell  no  man 

on  his  first  circuit  among  the  synagogues  of  Galilee  (Mark  i.  35) , 
and  before  he  chose  the  Twelve  (Luke  vi.  12). 

Who  do  men  say  that  I  am  ?  His  first  question  was  about 
the  opinions  of  others.  The  reply  of  the  disciples  shewed  how 
various  these  were,  and  how  different  were  the  impressions  pro- 
duced by  his  works. 

28.  And  they  told  him.  The  Baptist  risen  from  the  dead, 
the  Elijah  who  was  to  return,  one  of  the  line  of  the  prophets — 
these  were  some  of  the  estimates  formed  of  him.  Matthew  adds 
Jeremiah,  the  prophet  who  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  in  some 
respects  the  greatest  of  all.  But  it  is  not  said  that  any  of  the 
people  took  him  to  be  the  Messiah.  Compare  the  similar  ex- 
planations recorded  in  vi.  14,  15. 

29.  But  who  say  ye  that  I  am  ?  Now  he  will  have  their  own 
view — '  But  ye — who  say  ye  that  I  am,'  as  the  order  of  the  words 
puts  it. 

Peter  answereth.  All  three  Synoptists  make  Peter  the 
spokesman. 

Thou  art  the  Christ.  In  Matt,  it  is  'Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God '  (xvi.  16),  and  in  Luke  it  is  \  The  Christ 
of  God.'  But  the  confession  is  the  same,  though  the  reports  differ 
slightly  as  to  the  precise  terms.  It  is  to  be  observed  also  that 
according  both  to  Matthew  and  to  John  there  had  been  earlier 
confessions  by  the  disciples  of  Jesus  as  'the  Son  of  God'  (Matt.  xiv. 
33),  and  '  the  Holy  One  of  God  '  (John  vi.  69)  ;  and  that  the  Fourth 
Gospel  indeed  speaks  of  Simon  as  recognizing  Jesus  to  be  the 
Messiah  when  he  first  followed  him  (John  i.  41).  The  confession 
is  now  made  by  Peter  in  name  of  the  disciples,  in  response  to  the 
Master's  own  question  and  in  the  most  explicit  terms.  It  was  their 
solemn,  formal,  convinced  acceptance  of  him  as  the  Messiah  ;  and 
the  scene  of  this  momentous  declaration  was  the  neighbourhood 
of  a  heathen  city  dedicated  of  old  to  Pan,  and  in  Christ's  time  to 
the  deified  Augustus.  Mark  omits  the  benediction  pronounced 
on  Peter  and  the  promise  made  him,  which  Matthew  records 
(xvi.  17-19) — proof  sufficient  that  the  Second  Gospel  was  not 
"written  with  a  Petrine  tendency  or  in  the  interests  of  Peter  and 
a  part}'  following  him. 

30.  charg-ed  them.    A  strong  word,  usually  conveying  the  idea 


ST.  MARK  8.  si  217 

of  him.      And  he  began  to  teach   them,  that  the  Son  31 
of  man  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected   by 
the  elders,  and  the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and 

of  rebuke-  The  silence  was  enjoined  because  the  times  were  not 
yet  ripe  for  a  public  and  general  declaration  of  his  Messiahship. 
It  was  possible  to  do  that  prematurely,  and  at  the  cost  of  disaster. 

viii.  31-33.  The  Announcement  of  the  Passion  and  the  Rebuke 
of  Peter;  cf.  Matt.  xvi.  21-23  ;  Luke  ix.  22.  The  confession  has 
been  made.  The  time  will  come,  though  it  is  not  yet,  for  the 
proclamation  of  the  claims  thus  recognized.  What  is  involved  in 
that  confession  is  from  this  time  forth  disclosed  to  the  disciples  as 
they  were  able  to  receive  it. 

31.  began  to  teach  them  :  this  marks  the  occasion  as  one  that 
made  an  important  turning-point  in  Christ's  work.  He  was  to 
give  now  a  new  direction  to  his  training  and  instructing  of  the 
Twelve. 

must :  the  word  expresses  the  moral  necessity,  the  Divine 
plan,  in  his  career.  It  is  used  also  on  other  decisive  occasions  in 
his  life,  as  Luke  specialty  notices,  e.  g.  when  the  consciousness  of 
his  peculiar  relation  to  God  first  expresses  itself  (Luke  ii.  49),  at 
the  beginning  of  his  ministry  (Luke  iv.  43),  after  his  resurrection 
(Luke  xxiv.  26)  ;  cf.  also  John  ix.  4. 

suffer  many  thing's:  so  in  Matt.  xvi.  21;  Mark  ix.  12; 
Luke  ix.  22,  xvii.  25. 

rejected :  perhaps  with  reference  to  Ps.  cxviii.  22.  The 
word  means  properly  an  official  rejection — a  rejection  after  trial. 

elders  :  here  in  the  official  sense  of  members  of  the  Sanhedrin, 
the  supreme  ecclesiastical  court  or  council  in  Jerusalem — those 
members  of  that  body  who  were  neither  chief  priests  nor  scribes. 
They  might  be  either  laymen  or  priests. 

chief  priests :  the  most  distinguished  representatives  of 
the  Jewish  priesthood,  and  the  leading  members  of  the  supreme 
court.  They  belonged  to  the  sacerdotal  aristocracy,  and  were 
mostly,  though  not  exclusively,  of  the  party  of  the  Sadducees. 

scribes :  the  professional  lawyers,  mostly,  though  not  exclu- 
sively, Pharisees.  See  on  chap.  i.  22  above.  These  were  the 
three  distinct  classes  that  made  up  the  membership  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  In  most  cases  where  they  are  named  together  in 
the  N.T.  the  chief  priests  are  mentioned  first.  There  are  a  few 
cases  in  which  this  order  is  not  kept  (Matt.  xvi.  21 ;  Luke  ix.  22. 
xx.  19,  in  addition  to  the  instance  here  in  Mark),  and  only  two 
in  which  the  chief  priests  are  not  named  at  all  (Matt.  xxvi.  57  ; 
Acts  vi.  12).  The  enumeration  is  made  here  in  a  form  that 
particularizes  each  of  the  three  parties  in  the  Sanhedrin  as  in- 
volved in  the  acts  referred  to. 


218  ST.  MARK   8.  32-34 

32  be  killed,  and  after  three  days  rise  again.  And  he 
spake  the  saying  openly.      And   Peter  took  him,  and 

33  began  to  rebuke  him.  But  he  turning  about,  and  seeing 
his  disciples,  rebuked  Peter,  and  saith,  Get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan  ;    for  thou  mindest  not  the  things  of  God, 

34  but  the  things  of  men.      And  he  called  unto  him  the 

after  three  days :  so  again  in  ix.  31,  x.  34.  Matthew  saj^s 
'the  third  day'  (xvi.  21).  But  that  the  two  expressions  mean  the 
same  thing  is  shewn  by  Matt,  xxvii.  64.     Cf.  Hosea  vi.  2. 

32.  openly :  that  is  in  plain  terms,  not  in  parable  or  indirectly, 
and  in  presence  of  all.  Cf.  John  xi.  14.  This  statement  is  given 
only  by  Mark.  Jesus  had  not  been  wholly  silent  on  these  things 
before,  but  had  spoken  with  reserve  and  by  figure  or  suggestion, 
as  is  seen  e.  g.  from  John  ii.  19,  iii.  12-16,  vi.  47-56,  and  in  the 
mention  of  the  bridegroom  (Matt.  ix.  15  ;  Mark  ii.  20). 

took  him :  put  his  hand  on  him  and  took  hold  of  him  so  as 
to  take  him  aside.  The  idea  of  suffering,  of  what  betokened  failure, 
in  the  case  of  him  whom  he  had  just  confessed  to  be  the  Christ  was 
still  strange  to  Peter  ;  and  that  Jesus  should  speak  of  it  with  such 
frankness  and  publicity  was  more  than  he  could  bear.  He  will  take 
him  apart,  out  of  the  hearing  of  others,  and  remonstrate  with  him. 

rebuke  him :  the  words  of  the  remonstrance  are  given  by 
Matthew  (xvi.  22). 

33.  turning"  about :  cf.  v.  30 ;  John  xxi.  20 ;  Acts  ix.  40 ; 
Rev.  i.  12.  Another  of  Mark's  vivid  strokes.  At  Peter's  touch 
and  speech  Jesus  turns  sharply  round  as  if  to  address  him. 
In  doing  so  his  eye  rests  on  the  disciples  watching  what  was 
passing.  He  directs  his  rebuke  to  Peter,  but  to  him  as  the 
spokesman  for  all.  Matthew  and  Mark  both  mention  that  it  was 
Peter  who  was  reproved.  Mark  who  omits  the  honour  done  to 
Peter  by  Jesus  on  the  occasion  of  his  confession,  does  not  fail 
to  tell  of  the  sharp  reproof  that  followed  so  soon. 

Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan :  the  very  words  used  by  Jesus 
in  the  temptation  (Matt.  iv.  10 ;  Luke  iv.  8).  In  Peter's  re- 
monstrance Jesus  saw  a  repetition  of  the  temptation  to  follow 
a  worldly  course  by  which  Satan  had  tried  him  in  the  wilderness. 

mindest.  Better  than  the  A.  V.  '  savourest,'  an  old  English 
word,  derived  from  the  Latin  through  the  French,  meaning  to 
discern  and  relish.  Peter's  hasty  and  officious  act  betokened  a  lack 
of  spiritual  understanding  and  liking — a  mind  far  away  yet  from 
the  mind  of  God. 

viii.  34 — ix.  1 .  Declaration  of  self-denial  even  unto  death  as  the 
condition  of  discipleship,  and  the  secret  of  the  gain  of  life.  Cf.  Matt, 
xvi.  24-28  ;  Luke  ix.  23-27. 


ST.  MARK   8.  35  219 

multitude  with  his  disciples,   and   said   unto   them,   If 
any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up   his   cross,   and   follow  me.      For   whoso-  35 
ever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it ;    and  whosoever 

34.  the  multitude  :  even  in  these  remote,  heathen  parts,  Jesus 
had  crowds  of  curious  spectators  and  listeners.  He  turns  now 
from  the  disciples  and  from  the  mystery  of  his  own  Passion  to 
the  mass  of  the  unattached  and  to  another  subject.  He  even 
calls  them  to  him  and  addresses  to  them  words  of  larger  meaning 
suited  to  all. 

take  up  his  cross :  Luke  adds  •  daily.'  Probably  Jesus  had 
spoken  of  the  cross  before  this  to  his  disciples  (Matt.  x.  38),  but 
not,  as  far  as  appears,  to  those  outside.  Neither  then  nor  now 
did  he  speak  of  the  cross  as  the  way  of  death  for  himself;  nor 
has  he  yet  spoken  of  suffering  at  the  hands  of  any  but  Jews. 
Crucifixion  was  the  Roman  mode  of  capital  punishment.  The 
word  about  taking  up  the  cross  must  have  carried  with  it  repellent, 
terrifying  ideas.  It  expressed  the  call  to  a  denial  of  self  that 
meant  the  utmost  conceivable  pain.  It  has  been  asserted  by  some 
that  only  now  did  our  Lord  clearly  foresee  his  own  Passion.  But 
apart  from  the  proper  reference  of  his  words  on  this  occasion,  we 
have  testimonies  in  the  Gospels  to  the  fact  that  he  had  spoken  of  it, 
at  least  in  terms  foreshadowing  it,  before  this,  as  e.  g.  in  the  hidden 
saying  ?bout  the  temple  of  his  body  John  ii.  20,  21)  ;  the  words 
to  Nathanael  about  the  destiny  of  the  Son  of  man  to  be  '  lifted  up ' 
(John  iii.  14)  ;  the  declaration  about  the  giving  of  his  flesh  and 
blood  (John  vi.  51-56^;  and  the  statement  about  the  bridegroom 
being  'taken  away'  which  is  given  in  all  the  three  Synoptists 
(Matt.  ix.  15 ;  Mark  ii.  20  ;  Luke  v.  35). 

35.  life:  or  'soul,'  as  in  the  margin  of  the  R.  V.  The  word 
rendered  'soul'  {psyche)  is  different  from  that  rendered  'spirit' 
(pneuma).  Soul  is  the  term  used  in  Scripture  to  designate  the 
self,  the  conscious  personal  life.  It  means  life  embodied,  as  the 
other  means  life  animating.  •  Spirit  is  life  as  coming  from  God  ; 
soul  is  life  as  constituted  in  man.  Consequent^* ,  when  the 
individual  life  is  to  be  made  emphatic,  "  soul"  is  used'  (Laidlaw, 
The  Bible  Doctrine  of  Man,  p.  69).  Thus,  too,  in  connexions  like 
the  present,  the  latter  term  may  express  the  self  in  two  different 
aspects,  a  lower  and  a  higher,  or  the  life  as  mere  life,  and  as  the 
good  of  life — life  worthy  of  the  name.  It  is  to  be  observed  also  that 
this  is  not  the  only  time  that  this  far-reaching  declaration  about 
saving  and  losing  one's  life  was  made  by  our  Lord,  according  to 
the  Gospel  records.  See  Matt.  x.  39  ;  Luke  xvii.  33  ;  John  xii.  25. 
It  is,  indeed,  one  that  bore  to  be  repeated,  and  that  might  be  called 
forth  by  more  than  one  occasion. 


220  ST.  MARK   8.  36-38 

shall  lose  his  life  for  my  sake  and  the  gospel's  shall 

36  save  it.      For  what  doth  it  profit  a  man,  to  gain  the 

37  whole  world,   and   forfeit   his   life?      For  what  should 

38  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  life  ?  For  whosoever 
shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of  my  words  in  this 
adulterous  and  sinful  generation,  the  Son  of  man  also 
shall    be    ashamed   of  him,   when   he  cometh   in  the 

for  my  sake :  words  spoken  simply  and  calmly,  but  revealing 
his  consciousness  of  a  supremacy  beyond  the  highest  human 
measure,  making  devotion  to  himself  the  first  of  duties  and  the 
life  which  is  a  gain  worth  any  cost. 

and  the  gospel's.  It  is  only  Mark  who  uses  the  word 
'  gospel '  thus  without  any  addition  or  definition. 

36.  gain  the  whole  world.  The  contrast  passes  now  from  the 
life  saved  and  the  life  lost  to  the  world  gained  and  the  life  forfeited. 
The  term  'world'  here  has  not  the  deep,  mystical  sense  it  has 
in  the  writings  of  John.  It  is  the  '  world '  in  the  common  sense 
of  the  word,  the  material,  visible  world  or  system  of  things  with 
all  it  has  to  offer.  In  the  experiences  of  the  wilderness,  Jesus 
himself  had  been  tempted  to  gain  the  world  by  forsaking  his 
proper  mission  and  forgetting  his  relation  to  God.  '  Forfeit '  is 
the  proper  rendering  here  in  the  clause  '  forfeit  his  life.'  For  the 
word  expresses  not  mere  loss,  but  loss  coming  by  penalty  inflicted. 

37.  For  what  should  a  man  give  in  exchange :  or,  '  as  an 
exchange.'  It  is  an  argument  for  the  profitlessness  of  the  gain 
of  the  whole  world  from  the  fact  that  it  is  at  the  cost  of  a  loss 
that  cannot  be  repaired.  Once  the  life  is  gone,  nothing  can  buy 
it  back. 

38.  For  whosoever  shall  be  ashamed.  The  statement 
becomes  yet  more  definite,  and  points  to  yet  larger  claims  on 
the  part  of  the  speaker.  It  brings  the  question  of  loyalty  to 
Christ  to  the  final  test  of  his  own  judicial  prerogative.  When 
that  test  is  applied  the  just  equalities  of  things  will  be  seen. 
Then  shame  shall  be  met  by  shame,  and  he  who  disowns  shall 
himself  be  disowned. 

when  he  cometh :  the  N.  T.  speaks  of  a  4  coming '  or 
f  presence '  of  Christ,  which  it  describes  as  an  objective  event  of 
the  future,  a  visible  return  of  Christ  which  is  connected  with  the 
raising  of  the  dead,  the  last  judgement,  and  the  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  its  final  completeness  and  glory  (Matt, 
xxiv.  3,  37,  39  ;  1  Thess.  iii.  13,  iv.  15,  v.  23 ;  2  Thess.  ii.  1,  8 ; 
r  Cor.  i.  7,  xv.  23  ;  Jas.  v.  7  ;  2  Pet.  i.  16,  iii.  4  ;  1  John  ii.  28,  Src). 
It  also  speaks  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  of  the  day  of  the  Lord,  and 


ST.  MARK  9.  i  221 

glory   of  his    Father   with   the   holy   angels.      And   he  9 
said  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  be  some 
here  of  them  that  stand    />y,   which    shall   in    no  wise 
taste  of  death,  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God  come 
with  power. 

of  the  Lord  himself  as  'coming'  (Matt.  x.  28,  xxiv.  30,  42;  Luke 
xvii.  20.  xxii.  18  ;  John  xxi.  22  ;  Acts  ii.  20;  1  Cor.  xi.  26,  &c.\ 
This  'coming'  is  associated  with  the  end  of  the  world,  but  also, 
as  it  appears,  e.g.  in  Matt,  xxiv,  xxv,  with  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  The  prophecies  of  the  O.  T.  brought  events  together 
which  the  course  of  history  proved  to  be  separated  from  each 
other  in  time.  They  looked  forward  to  the  judgements  of  the 
near  future,  and  saw  in  these  preliminary  and  partial  acts  of 
judgement  on  the  nations  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
which  was  at  last  to  be  supreme.  So  in  the  intimations  made 
by  the  N.T.  on  the  subject  of  the  Last  Things,  judicial  acts  or 
redemptive  acts  of  decisive  significance,  like  the  destruction  of 
the  Temple  or  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  the  special  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  are  described  as  'comings'  of  the  Lord,  and  are 
identified  with  that  final  Advent  to  which  in  principle  they 
belonged.     See  also  on  chap.  xiii. 

in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy  angels.  Matthew 
attaches  the  definite  statement  of  judgement  as  well  as  glory — 
'  then  shall  he  render  unto  every  man  according  to  his  deeds  ' 
^xvi.  27  ,.  The  glory  which  the  Son  of  man  sees  before  him  is  given 
by  Luke  as  ins  own  glory,  and  the  glory  of  the  Father1  (ix.  26;. 

ix.  1.  And  he  said  unto  them.  This  verse  belongs  to  the 
preceding.  It  is  by  mistake  that  it  has  been  made  the  beginning 
of  a  new  chapter.  The  mal-arrangement  has  been  due  to  taking 
the  words  '  And  he  said  unto  them  '  as  the  introduction  to  a  new 
paragraph.  Or  it  may  have  been  occasioned  by  the  idea  that  what 
Jesus  said  about  his  '  coming  '  had  its  fulfilment  in  the  event  of  the 
transfiguration. 

taste  of  death.  That  is,  experience  it :  cf.  Job  xx.  18  ;  Ps. 
xxxiv.  8  ;  Heb.  ii.  9.  The  announcement  recorded  in  this  verse 
is  given  in  all  three  Synoptists  ;  most  simply  in  Luke,  who  says 
only  'till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God  ';  more  precisely  in 
Matthew — 'till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom' ; 
most  definitely  in  Mark — '  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God  come 
(i.  e.  already  come)  with  power.'  This  is  what  some  of  the  by- 
standers are  to  see  in  their  lifetime.  How  was  this  prediction 
fulfilled  ?  Some  say,  in  the  coming  of  the  Spirit  and  the  first 
triumphs  of  the  Gospel.  Others,  in  the  manifestation  of  the 
glory  of  the  Son  of  man  in  the  transfiguration.     But  the  prophetic 


222  ST.  MARK  9.  2 

2  And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  with  him  Peter, 
and  James,  and  John,  and  bringeth  them  up  into 
a  high   mountain   apart  by   themselves :    and   he   was 

words  seem  to  point  beyond  an  event  so  immediate,  one  indeed 
that  was  to  take  place  within  a  week.  In  the  final  Advent  at  the 
end  of  the  world,  according  to  others  ;  or  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  displacement  of  the  ancient  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion. This  last  interpretation  suits  sufficiently  well  both  the 
nature  of  prophetic  discourse  (which  sees  the  decisive  event  in 
preliminary  events  of  the  same  kind)  and  the  indication  of  time. 

ix.  2-8.  The  Transfiguration.  Cf.  Matt.  xvii.  1-13 ;  Luke 
ix.  28-36.  This  exceptional  event  in  our  Lord's  ministry  is 
recorded  by  all  three  Synoptists,  and  is  referred  to  distinctly 
in  2  Pet.  i.  16-18.  The  three  evangelical  reports  give  substantially 
the  same  account  of  the  incident.  They  have  much  in  common 
also  in  the  terms.  The  resemblance  between  Matthew  and  Mark 
is  particularly  close,  while  the  language  of  the  third  Gospel  has 
more  a  character  of  its  own.  Each  of  the  Evangelists  also  has 
something  peculiar  to  himself.  Only  Matthew,  e.g.,  tells  us 
that  the  disciples  fell  on  their  faces  when  they  heard  the  voice, 
and  that  Jesus  came  and  touched  them,  and  said,  'Arise,  and 
be  not  afraid.'  To  Luke  alone  we  owe  the  mention  of  the 
facts  that  Jesus  ascended  the  mount  to  pray,  and  that  it  was 
when  he  was  praying  that  he  became  transfigured.  The  same 
Evangelist  is  the  only  one  who  notices  that  Moses  and  Elijah 
talked  of  the  Lord's  '  decease  which  he  was  about  to  accomplish 
at  Jerusalem/  and  that  '  Peter  and  they  that  were  with  him 
were  heavy  with  sleep.'  In  the  description  of  the  garments 
Mark  intensifies  the  sense  of  their  glistering  whiteness  by  adding 
the  words  '  so  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  whiten  them.' 

2.  after  six  days.  So  also  in  Matthew.  But  in  Luke  it  is 
'  about  eight  days ' — a  less  precise  statement,  as  is  indicated  by 
the  '  about,'  and  one  not  inconsistent  with  the  other. 

Peter,  and  James,  and  John.  The  same  select  witnesses  as 
were  with  him  in  the  death-chamber  in  the  house  of  Jai'rus. 

a  high,  mountain.  The  '  holy  mount ' :  cf.  2  Pet.  i.  18.  Luke 
says  simply  'the  mountain.'  Ancient  tradition  in  one  form 
identifies  this  mountain  with  the  Mount  of  Olives.  But  the 
description  '  high '  could  not  apply  to  that  ;  and  the  narratives 
point  to  a  different  part  of  the  Holy  Land,  as  they  shew  Jesus 
to  have  been  in  Galilee  both  before  and  after  the  event.  A  much 
more  important  tradition  makes  it  Mount  Tabor.  This  meets 
some  of  the  conditions  of  the  case  ;  and  being  followed  by  Cyril  of 
Jerusalem,  Jerome,  and  other  ancient  authorities,  it  became  widely 


ST.  iVARK  9.  3,  4  223 

transfigured   before   them:    and   his   garments   became  3 
glistering,   exceeding  white;    so  as  no  fuller  on  earth 
can    whiten    them.      Aud   there   appeared   unto   them  4 

accepted.  Tabor  is  of  sr  me  height  (about  1,700  or  1,800  ft.)  ;  it 
has  a  commanding  pos:  ion,  rising  as  it  does  out  of  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon  ;  and  it  i:  not  at  an  impossible  distance  from  the 
locality  in  which  Jesus  I  t  was.  But  there  are  serious  objections 
to  it.  It  is  not  likely  l|nat  Jesus  could  have  found  on  it  the  solitude 
he  sought ;  for  there  appears  to  have  been  at  this  time  a  fortified 
town  or  village  on  i<  Josephus,  Jew.  War,  iv.  1.  8,  ii.  20.  6; 
Antiq.,  xiv.  6.  3  .  And  further  we  see  that  Jesus  was  last 
in  the  parts  about  Caesarea  Philippi  in  the  far  north,  and  we 
learn  that  after  the  Transfiguration  he  travelled  through  Galilee 
to  Capernaum  (Mark  ix.  30,  33  ;  Matt.  xvii.  22,  24).  But  it  is 
not  probable  that  he  should  have  gone  all  the  way  from  Caesarea 
Philippi  to  Tabor,  passing  Capernaum  there  and  making  his  way 
back  to  that  city  after  the  event.  Hence  the  best  scholars  now 
conclude  in  favour  of  Mount  Hermon — a  '  high  mountain '  indeed, 
for  it  rises  over  9,000  ft.  ;  near  enough  to  Caesarea  Philippi  to 
be  easily  reached  from  thence  in  a  few  days ;  and  in  all  respects 
a  fit  scene  for  such  an  event. 

transfigured.  The  change  came  over  him  when  he  was 
praying  (Luke  ix.  29) ;  as  it  was  also  when  he  was  praying  that 
the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  him  at  his 
baptism  (Luke  iii.  21).  The  change  is  described  most  definitely 
by  Matthew  and  Mark  as  a  '  transformation '  (Luke  says  simply 
'the  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered'')  or  a  change  to  the 
effect  that  he  was  '  transfigured,'  as  all  the  English  versions  from 
WycliflVs  have  agreed  to  render  it.  The  O.  T.  has  its  parallel 
case  in  the  shining  of  the  face  of  Moses  which  was  due  to  his 
speaking  with  the  Lord  on  the  Mount  (Exod.  xxxiv.  29).  The 
face  of  Stephen  was  seen  '  as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an  angel ' 
(Acts  vi.  15).  And  in  instances  less  exalted  there  is  at  times 
a  transfiguration  of  the  countenance  which  is  the  effect  of  rapt 
communion  with  God. 

3.  glistering :  the  word  does  not  occur  again  in  the  N.  T.,  but 
elsewhere  it  is  used  of  the  '  flashing  of  burnished  brass  or  gold  ' 
(1  Esdras  viii.  56  ;  2  Esdras  viii.  27)  as  Dr.  Swete  notices, '  or  steel 
(Nahum  iii.  3),  or  of  sunlight  (1  Mace.  vi.  39).' 

exceeding  white.  The  A.  V.  adds  '  as  snow,'  appropriate  to 
the  appearance  of  Hermon,  and  perhaps  suggested  by  it,  but 
without  sufficient  documentary  authority. 

no  fuller  on  earth  can  whiten  them.  Mark  describes  only 
the  appearance  of  the  garments,  and  this  touch  is  peculiar  to  him. 
Matthew  tells  us  that  '  his  garments  became  white  as  the  light.' 


224  ST.  MARK  9.  5-7 

Elijah  with  Moses :    and  they  were  talking  with  Jesus. 

5  And  Peter  answereth  and  saith  to  Jesus,  Rabbi,  it  is 
good  for  us  to  be  here :  and  let  us  make  three  taber- 
nacles ;   one  for  thee,  and  one  for   Moses,  and  one  for 

6  Elijah.      For   he   wist   not   what    :  o  answer ;    for   they 

7  became  sore  afraid.      And   there     arrie   a   cloud  over- 


but  notices  also  the  change  upon  the  person—'  his  face  did  shine  as 
the  sun.' 

4.  Elijah  with  Moses.  Representatives  of  the  two  great  stages 
of  O.  T.  revelation,  Prophecy  and  the  Law.  It  was  expected 
that  Elijah  was  to  come,  but  here  another  has  come  with  him — 
Moses,  of  whose  return  the  prophets  said  nothing.  That  is  what 
surprised  Peter,  and  through  Peter's  recollections  it  has  left  its 
impression  on  Mark's  narrative. 

talking-  with  Jesus.  Luke  gives  the  subject  (ix.  31).  It 
was  the  event  of  which  Jesus  had  just  begun  to  speak  openly. 

5.  Peter  answereth.  To  the  occasion,  that  is  to  say,  or  to 
words  left  unuttered  or  at  least  unrecorded.  Peter  is  the  spokes- 
man in  all  three  Synoptists.  From  Luke  we  gather  that  Peter 
broke  in  with  his  proposal  that  they  should  stay  on  just  when 
Elijah  and  Moses  were  withdrawing  (ix.  33). 

Rabbi.  Mark  gives  the  original  Aramaic  address  ;  for  which 
Matthew  gives  '  Lord/  and  Luke  a  word  of  his  own,  '  Master,' 
different  from  both  and  not  conveying  so  definitely  the  idea  of 
teacher. 

three  tabernacles,  or  '  booths.'  These  were  made  by 
intertwining  the  branches  of  trees,  and  on  the  slopes  of  Hermon 
there  would  be  brushwood  enough  for  such  a  purpose.  Perhaps 
Peter  had  in  mind  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (Lev.  xxiii.  40,  &c): 
'  He  would  anticipate  it  by  a  week  spent  on  this  leafy  height  in 
the  presence  of  the  three  greatest  masters  of  Israel'  (Swete).  He 
spoke  vaguely,  with  no  very  clear  ideas  beyond  this,  that  it  was 
'  good '  for  him  and  his  brethren  to  be  where  they  were,  and 
'good '  for  them  to  remain  in  the  presence  of  these  three. 

6.  he  wist  not  what  to  answer.  The  same  is  said  of  the 
chosen  three  in  the  Agony  of  the  Garden  (xiv.  40).  A  scene  so 
wholly  outside  his  experience,  so  overwhelming  with  its  unwonted 
glory  and  mystery,  dazed  Peter.  He  spoke  he  knew  not  what, 
overcome  by  the  terror,  in  which  also  James  and  John  shared — 
'for  they  became  sore  afraid.' 

7.  there  came  a  cloud.  Instead  of  an  answer  to  Peter's  well- 
meant  but  only  half-coherent  proposal,  a  cloud,  '  a  bright  cloud  ' 
(Matt.  xvii.  5),  swept  down  upon  the  scene  and  overshadowed 
them  all — not  merely  Jesus,  and  Elijah  and  Moses,  but  the  disciples 


ST.  MARK   0.  8  225 

shadowing  them  :    and  there  came  a  voice  out  of  the 
cloud,  This  is  my  beloved   Son  :    hear  ye  him.      And  8 
suddenly  looking  round  about,  they  saw  no  one   any 
more,  save  Jesus  only  with  themselves. 

also;  for  'they  feared/  Luke  tells  us,  '  as  the}' entered  into  the 
cloud  '  (ix.  34).  The  cloud  came  while  the  words  were  yet  on 
Peter's  lips— 'while  he  was  3Tet  speaking'  (Matt.  xvii.  5),  'while 
he  said  these  things'  (Luke  ix.  34).  The  overshadowing  cloud 
recalls  the  cloud  that  'covered  the  tent  of  meeting,'  by  reason 
of  which  Moses  was  '  not  able  to  enter '  (Exod.  xl.  34,  35). 
Mention  is  made  also  of  the  'cloud  '  in  the  case  of  the  Ascension 
f  Acts  i.  9),  and  of  the  '  clouds  '  in  the  announcement  of  the  Second 
Coming  .Mark  xiii.  26,  xiv.  62  ;  Rev.  i.  7).  In  the  O.  T.  the 
'  cloud  '  is  associated  with  special  manifestations  of  God,  as  in  the 
wilderness  (Exod.  xvi.  10,  xix.  9,  16,  xxiv.  15  ;  Lev.  xvi.  2 ;  Num. 
xi.  25),  and  at  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  (1  Kings  viii.  10). 
The  later  Jewish  writings  indicate  that  there  was  a  belief  that  it 
was  to  reappear  in  the  time  of  the  Messiah  (2  Mace.  ii.  8). 

a  voice  out  of  the  cloud.  The  voice  was  heard  also  at  the 
Baptism  of  Jesus.  There  it  was  meant  for  Jesus  himself;  here  it 
is  addressed  to  the  disciples.  All  three  Synoptists  report  the 
addition — 'hear  ye  him.'  This  'hear  3'e  him'  spoke  of  a  new 
duty  and  a  new  relation.  The  men  of  the  old  Israel  had  listened  to 
Moses  and  the  Prophets.  Those  who  were  to  be  the  beginning 
of  the  new  Israel  were  to  listen  to  Christ,  the  final  utterer  of  ! 
God's  mind  (Heb.  i.  1).  In  2  Peter  the  voice  is  mentioned, 
and  is  described  as  having  come  '  from  the  excellent  glory,' 
and  to  have  been  '  heard  come  out  of  heaven '  by  the  Apostles 
(i.  17,  18).  Matthew  adds  that  the  disciples  ■  fell  on  their  face, 
and  were  sore  afraid  '  (xvii.  6).  The  terrors  already  kindled  b}' 
the  scene  generally,  and  especially  by  the  entering  into  the  cloud, 
were  brought  to  their  height  by  the  voice  breaking  out  of  the  cloud. 

8.  suddenly  looking1  round  about,  they  saw  no  one.  The 
awful  scene  ended  as  unexpectedly  as  it  had  begun.  All  vanished 
as  at  a  touch,  and  only  Jesus  as  they  had  known  him  was  seen. 
It  was  only  when  Jesus  touched  them  as  they  lay  prostrate  and 
stupefied  with  terror,  and  spoke  his  own  word  of  cheer,  that  they 
were  relieved  of  their  fears  and  lifted  up  their  eyes  again.  The 
discovery  was  immediately  made  that  the  vision  was  gone,  and 
things  were  again  as  they  had  been  (Matt.  xvii.  7,  8). 

The  report  of  this  incident,  resting  upon  the  coincident  testimony 
of  three  narvatives,  each  with  its  own  marks  of  independence,  and 
at  least  one.  of  them  reproducing  the  recollections  of  an  eye-witness, 
cannot  be,-  explained  away  as  an  imaginative  version  of  merely 

Q 


226  ST.  MARK  9.  9 

9  And  as  they  were  coming  down  from  the  mountain, 
he  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  what 
things  they  had  seen,  save  when  the  Son  of  man  should 

natural  phenomena,  or  as  the  highly-coloured  record  of  mistaken 
impressions.  Least  of  all  can  it  be  explained  away  as  a  mythical 
growth.  For  the  idea  of  a  suffering,  dying  Messiah  was  abhorrent  to 
the  Jew,  and  there  was  nothing  in  the  popular  Jewish  conception 
of  the  great  expected  King  that  could  form  the  nucleus  on  which 
the  mythological  faculty  might  work  till  it  produced  a  story  like 
this,  having  the  '  decease'  of  Jesus  as  its  heart.  The  event  meant 
much  for  Jesus  himself.  This  change  was  not  the  object  with 
which  he  ascended  the  mountain,  nor  is  anything  said  to  suggest  that 
he  looked  for  it.  His  object  was  to  pray,  and  thereby  to  prepare 
himself  at  this  crisis  of  his  ministry  for  the  Passion  that  was 
before  him.  The  glory  came  to  him  when  he  was  so  engaged, 
as  angelic  help  came  to  him  in  the  Temptation  and  in  the  Agony  ; 
and  it  strengthened  him  for  his  course.  But  the  event  meant  much 
also  for  the  Apostles.  They,  too,  had  reached  a  crisis  in  their 
calling.  They  had  made  their  confession  of  their  faith,  and  they 
had  been  staggered  by  the  announcement  of  his  way  of  suffering. 
They  did  not  see  all  that  happened  on  the  mount  ;  for  Luke  tells 
us  that  they  were  '  heavy  with  sleep,'  and  that  it  was  only  '  when 
they  were  fully  awake '  that  '  they  saw  his  glory.'  But  what  they 
did  see  and  hear  was  an  important  element  in  their  training. 
They  had  a  glimpse  at  least  of  the  glory  that  was  within  and 
behind  the  lowliness  of  the  Master ;  and  it  gave  them  the 
assurance,  in  after  years  of  trial  and  separation,  that  they  '  did 
not  follow  cunningly  devised  fables'  when  they  looked  for  'the 
power  and  coming'  of  Christ,  and  made  the  same  known  to  others 
(2  Pet.  i.  16). 

ix.  9-13.  Questions  regarding  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  the 
cowing  of  Elijah  :  cf.  Matt.  xvii.  9-13.  Of  what  passed  as  Jesus 
and  the  three  were  on  their  way  down  from  the  mountain  Luke  tells 
us  nothing.  He  simply  remarks  that  these  witnesses  of  the  Trans- 
figuration '  held  their  peace,  and  told  no  man  in  those  days  any 
of  the  things  which  they  had  seen'  (Luke  ix.  36). 

9.  as  they  were  coming1  down.  From  Luke's  mention  of 
what  took  place  '  next  day '  (ix.  37)  we  may  infer  that  the  descent 
took  place  the  day  after  the  Transfiguration,  and  early  in  the  day. 
charged  them.  The  injunction  to  silence  which  had  been 
laid  on  others  who  would  have  proclaimed  his  miracles  is  now 
laid  upon  the  chosen  three  with  regard  to  the  mighty  work  done 
on  himself.  But  in  this  case  there  is  a  limit — till  he  is  risen.  Of 
that  event,  his  Resurrection,  these  men  were  to  be  witnesses  and 
preachers. 


ST.  MARK  9.   10-12  227 

have  risen  again  from  the  dead.      And  they  kept  the  ro 
saying,  questioning  among  themselves  what  the  rising 
again  from  the   dead  should  mean.     And  they  asked  11 
him,    saying,    The    scribes    say   that    Elijah    must    first 
come.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Elijah  indeed  cometh  12 
first,  and  restoreth  all  things :  and  how  is  it  written  of 
the  Son  of  man,  that  he  should  suffer  many  things  and 

10.  kept  the  saying".  That  is,  they  did  not  neglect  this  pro- 
hibition, but  held  fast  to  it.    So  Luke  says  '  they  held  their  peace.1 

questioning"  among  themselves.  Though  they  were  faithful 
to  Christ's  charge  and  told  no  man,  they  had  discussions  among 
themselves  about  the  rising  of  the  dead.  These  could  scarcely  be 
about  a  resurrection  of  the  dead  generally;  for  the  doctrine  of 
a  resurrection  was  nothing  unfamiliar,  being  one  of  the  chief  tenets 
of  the  great  Pharisaic  party.  They  must  have  been  about  the  strange 
idea  of  a  resurrection  in  the  case  of  Jesus,  implying  unwelcome 
and  perplexing  thoughts  of  the  death  of  their  Messiah. 

11.  they  asked  him.  They  had  a  further  difficulty,  which  was 
suggested  probably  by  the  appearance  of  Elijah  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration.  And  on  this  they  interrogate  Jesus.  The  scribes 
(founding  no  doubt  on  Mai.  iii.  1,  iv.  5)  taught  them  that  Elijah 
was  to  come  before  the  Messiah  himself.  But  here  was  an 
appearance  of  Elijah  after  the  Messiah's  advent,  and  furthermore 
Jesus  had  charged  them  to  say  nothing  of  it.  What  were  they  to 
make  of  this  ? 

12.  Elijah  indeed  cometh  first.  Jesus  replies  that  it  is  true 
indeed  as  the  scribes  said,  but  that  they  did  not  give  the  whole 
truth.  Elijah  was  to  come  before  the  Messiah  ;  and  he  was  to 
1  restore  all  things,'  that  is  to  say,  to  initiate  a  great  moral 
renovation  of  Israel  which  would  prepare  the  way  for  Messiah 
(Mai.  iii.  2-4,  iv.  6\  But  there  was  more  in  their  Scriptures  than 
that.  They  spoke  not  only  of  the  prophet  who  was  to  precede 
Messiah,  but  also  of  suffering  and  rejection  as  destined  for  Messiah 
himself. 

The  title  '  the  Son  of  Man. ,'  The  N.  T.  says  nothing  of  the  origin 
of  this  great  title,  nor  does  it  explain  its  meaning.  There  is  much 
diversity  of  opinion,  therefore,  on  the  subject,  and  it  cannot  be 
said  that,  even  after  all  the  patient  inquiry  that  has  been  expended 
on  it,  all  things  are  clear. 

With  respect  to  the  use  of  the  term,  it  is  enough  to  say  that 
there  is  a  marked  difference  in  this  matter  between  the  O.  T.  and 
the  N.  T.     In  the  O.T.  the  phrase  'son  of  man'  is  often  simply 

synonym  for  man — a  member  of  the  human  family,  and  with 

Q   2 


228  ST.  MARK  9.  12 

special  reference  to  the  frailty  and  dependence  of  man  (Num.  xxiii. 
19  ;  Job  xxv.  6,  xxxv.  8  ;  Ps.  cxliv.  3  ;  Isa.  li.  12,  &c).  But  in  the 
prophecy  of-Ezekiel  it  is  used  over  ninety  times  as  the  name  by 
which  the  prophet  is  addressed.  Also  in  the  Book  of  Daniel  it 
appears  in  the  description  of  the  '  one  like  unto  a  son  of  man  '  who 
receives  c  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  the  peoples, 
nations,  and  languages  should  serve  him'  (vii.  13,  14).  In  the 
N.  T.,  again,  its  use  is  singular  and  of  great  interest.  It  is  our 
Lord's  chosen  designation  of  himself.  With  the  exception  of  one 
occurrence  in  Acts  (vii.  56),  the  quotation  in  Heb.  ii.  6,  and 
perhaps  two  passages  in  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  i.  13,  xiv.  14)  it  is 
found  only  in  the  Gospels  ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  Stephen's 
case  in  the  passage  in  Acts,  and  these  possible  occurrences  in  the 
visions  of  John  (Rev.  i.  13,  xiv.  14),  it  is  never  used  directly  of 
Christ  but  by  himself.  It  occurs  some  eighty  times  in  the  Gospels, 
representing  at  least  forty  distinct  occasions.  Its  application  also  is 
varied.  Sometimes  it  is  used  with  special  reference  to  our  Lord's 
life  or  ministry  on  earth,  particularly  his  humiliation,  poverty,  or 
sufferings  ;  at  other  times  with  special  regard  to  his  exaltation, 
his  glory,  his  return.  Sometimes  it  is  used  in  connexion  with 
prerogatives  exercised  then  on  earth — such  as,  lordship  over  the 
sabbath,  the  forgiveness  of  sins  ;  at  other  times  in  connexion  with 
the  prerogative  of  judgement  in  the  future. 

As  to  its  origin,  it  appears  sufficiently  clear  that  the  title  goes 
back  to  the  figure  of  the  'one  like  unto  a  son  of  man  '  seen  in  the 
Danielic  vision,  and  that  is  the  figure  of  a  man  above  the  ordinary 
human  measure — a  glorious  being,  the  sovereign  of  an  everlast- 
ing and  universal  dominion.  This  figure,  which  appears  to  have 
originally  represented  the  people  of  Israel  in  their  ideal  character 
and  victorious  destiny,  was  understood  at  a  very  early  period  to 
betoken  the  Messiah.  Further,  in  looking  for  the  origin  of  the  title, 
regard  must  be  had  to  the  fact  that  in  the  non-canonical  Jewish 
writings,  especially  in  that  section  of  the  Book  of  Enoch  which  is 
known  as  the  'Parables'  or  'Similitudes,'  the  'Son  of  Man'  is 
a  designation  of  the  Messiah,  and  of  the  Messiah  in  the  character 
of  a  superhuman  being,  seated  on  the  throne  beside  God  'the 
Head  of  Days,'  and  acting  as  judge  of  men.  But  in  addition  to 
this  the  title  founds  also  on  the  representation  of  the  '  Son  of  Man  ' 
in  Ps.  viii,  and  probably  in  the  enlargement  of  its  meaning  it  owed 
something  to  the  pictureof  thesufferingservant  of  the  Lord  in  Isaiah. 

As  regards  its  meaning,  one  of  the  questions  specially  discussed 
is  whether  it  is  a  Messianic  title  in  the  proper  sense,  distinctly  and 
definitely  so,  used  by  our  Lord  himself  and  understood  by  others 
as  a  name  for  the  Messiah.  The  way  in  which  the  name  is  received 
on  significant  occasions  in  the  N.  T.  (e.  g.  John  xii.  34)  ;  the  fact 
that  our  Lord  disclosed  his  Messiahship  only  gradually  ;  and  the 
further  circumstance  that  the  title  occurs  repeatedly  before  Peter 


ST.  MARK   9.  13,  14  229 

be   set  at  nought?     But   I   say   unto  you,    that    Elijah  13 
is  come,  and  they  have  also  done  unto  him  whatsoever 
they  listed,  even  as  it  is  written  of  him. 

And  when  they  came  to  the  disciples,  they  saw  a  great  14 

and  the  Apostles  made  their  great  confession  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ,  point  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  a  current  and  well- 
understood  Messianic  name,  at  least  not  one  readily  taken  in  that 
sense  by  the  people  generally,  and  that  it  was  used  by  our  Lord 
during  his  Galilean  ministry  to  veil  rather  than  to  reveal  his 
Messianic  claims,  and  to  present  him  in  another  character.  It  is 
the  select  name  by  which  he  expresses  the  uniqueness  of  his 
personality  in  respect  of  his  peculiar  relation  to  men.  On  the  one 
hand  it  identifies  him  with  us,  setting  him  before  us  as  true  man, 
and  placing  him  on  the  plane  of  our  common  humanity.  On  the 
other  hand  it  marks  him  off  as  different  from  us,  not  'a  son  of 
man'  simply,  but  i  the  Son  of  Man,'  beside  whom  there  is  none 
else — one  in  whom  manhood  is  seen  in  its  realized  ideal,  the 
perfect,  representative  man,  like  us  and  with  us  in  all  normal 
human  qualities,  but  also  above  us  and  apart  from  us  in  the  com- 
pleteness of  his  humanity  and  in  the  prerogative  and  authority 
belonging  to  one  in  a  unique  relation  to  God  as  well  as  to  us. 

13.  Elijah  is  come.  And  not  only  is  it  that  the  coming  of  Elijah 
was  foretold.  It  has  taken  place  (in  the  case  of  the  Baptist),  and 
who  has  observed  it  ?  His  fate  has  been  to  have  had  '  done  unto 
him  whatever  men  listed  ' — an  indirect  but  expressive  reference  to 
Herod's  cruel  and  arbitrary  action.  So  the  Forerunner  has  come 
and  has  been  killed.  What  of  the  Messiah  himself,  therefore,  and 
the  things  he  shall  suffer  at  the  hands  of  men  ? 

as  it  is  written  of  him.  This  refers  to  what  Jesus  has  just 
said  of  the  fate  of  the  second  Elijah.  The  three  Apostles  under- 
stood that  Jesus  identified  Elijah  with  John,  and  Matthew  expressly 
tells  us  that  they  did  (xvii.  13).  On  an  earlier  occasion  indeed 
Jesus  had  pointed  to  this  identification  (Matt.  xi.  14).  But  where 
is  it  '  written  '  that  Elijah  was  to  suffer  ?  It  is  not  enough  to  say 
that  Jesus  spoke  with  reference  simply  to  the  statements  made  in 
the  O.  T.  on  the  sufferings  of  prophets  generally.  For  the  '  of  him  ' 
makes  it  clear  that  the  particular  case  of  Elijah  is  in  view.  What 
is  meant,  therefore,  must  be  what  is  written  in  the  O.  T.  regarding 
the  treatment  of  Elijah  by  Ahab  and  Jezebel  (1  Kings  xix).  This 
was  typical  of  the  treatment  of  John  by  Herod  and  Herodias. 

ix.  14729.  Healing  of  the  Demoniac  boy  :  cf.  Matt.  xvii.  14-20  ; 
Luke  ix.  37-43.  Mark's  narrative  is  most  graphic  and  circum- 
stantial. The  narratives  of  Matthew  and  Luke  arc  both  condensed, 
the    former   shewing   special    signs   of  compression.      YcL   both. 


230  ST.  MARK  9.  ij 

multitude  about  them,  and  scribes  questioning  with  them. 

J5  And  straightway  all  the  multitude,  when  they  saw  him, 

were  greatly  amazed,  and  running  to  him  saluted  him. 

Matthew   and    Luke    give   some   particulars    not    mentioned    by 
Mark. 

14.  came  to  the  disciples.  They  had  returned  now  to  the 
place  and  the  company  they  had  left  for  the  time.  None  of  the 
Apostles  had  remained  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Jesus  and  the 
three  found  those  from  whom  the}'  had  parted  now  in  the  midst  of 
a  crowd  of  people,  and  engaged  in  a  discussion  with  certain  scribes. 
These  scribes,  who  belonged  probably  to  some  synagogues  in 
the  district,  seized  an  opportunity  which  presented  itself  for 
damaging  the  disciples  of  Jesus  in  the  eyes  of  the  public. 

questioning1  with.  them.  The  incident  of  the  discussion  with 
the  scribes  is  omitted  both  by  Matthew  and  by  Luke.  Mark  not  only 
gives  it,  but  indicates  its  occasion  and  its  subject.  The  matter  at  issue 
was  the  failure  of  the  disciples  to  effect  a  certain  cure.  This  gave 
the  scribes  their  opportunity  to  throw  doubt  on  '  the  authority  over 
unclean  spirits1  (vi.  7)  which  Jesus  was  said  to  have  given  them. 
Their  failure  in  this  case  may  well  have  been  a  perplexity  to  the 
disciples  themselves,  raising  questions  in  their  minds  and  making 
it  difficult  for  them  to  answer  the  scribes. 

15.  straightway  all  the  multitude.  As  if  with  one  impulse 
the  crowd  turned  from  the  scribes  to  Jesus.  It  is  not  said  that 
the  scribes  themselves  shewed  any  such  interest  in  his  appearance. 

greatly  amazed :  the  word  is  very  strong,  and  is  found  only 
in  Mark.  He  uses  it  when  he  tells  us  that  Jesus  was  '  greatly 
amazed  '  in  his  Agony  (xiv.  33),  and  again  when  he  reports  how 
the  women  were  '  amazed '  when  they  entered  the  Lords  tomb 
(xvi.  5,  6).  The  adjective  connected  with  the  verb  occurs  also  in 
the  description  of  the  '  amazement '  of  the  people  when  they  saw 
the  lame  man  walking  and  leaping  (Acts  iii.  to).  What  caused  the 
4  amazement '  of  the  multitude  on  this  occasion  ?  The  lingering 
radiance  left  by  the  transfiguration  on  the  face  of  Jesus,  say  some. 
They  point  to  the  analogy  of  the  glory  on  the  face  of  Moses  when 
he  came  down  from  the  Mount  of  Vision  and  Communion  (Exod. 
xxxiv.  29,  &c).  But  there  is  nothing  in  the  narrative  to  suggest 
that  the  countenance  of  Jesus  was  changed  in  any  way  ;  and  while 
the  effect  of  the  sight  in  the  case  of  Moses  was  that  Aaron  and  the 
people  were  l  afraid  to  come  nigh  him'  (Exod.  xxxiv.  30),  in  this 
case  the  effect  was  that  the  people  ran  to  Jesus  and  saluted  him. 
The  cause  was  rather  the  suddenness  and  opportuneness  of  his 
appearance.  The  multitude  had  a  case  before  them  in  which  the 
healing  power  of  the  disciples  had  come  to  nothing,  and  Jesus 
himself  was  far  away.    When  they  were  disconcerted  by  it  and  the 


ST.  MARK   9.  16-18  231 

And   he   asked   them,    What   question   ye  with   them  ?  16 
xA.nd  one   of  the  multitude   answered    him,    Master,   I  17 
brought  unto  thee  my  son,  which  hath  a  dumb  spirit ; 
and  wheresoever  it  taketh  him,  it  dasheth  him  down :  18 

disciples  themselves  were  baffled,  the  Master,  whom  they  thought 
to  be  out  of  reach  to  help  them,  unexpectedly  comes  upon  the 
scene.  All  thoughts  of  the  scribes  and  their  objections,  the 
disciples  and  their  discomfiture,  are  lost  in  the  sense  of  startled, 
glad  surprise,  and  they  run  to  welcome  him. 

16.  lie  asked  them.  He  took  no  notice  of  the  scribes,  but 
turned  to  the  people,  seeing  they  had  some  difficult  matter  in  hand, 
and  asking  them  what  it  was. 

What  question  ye  with  them  ?  That  is,  with  the  disciples, 
not  with  the  scribes.  The  multitude  had  turned  with  their  questions 
to  the  disciples  when  they  heard  the  scribes  putting  their  diffi- 
culties. 

17.  one  of  the  multitude  answered.  The  reply  to  the  inter- 
rogation of  Jesus  comes  from  an  individual  in  the  crowd,  and  from  the 
one  who  could  least  keep  silent.  Matthew  tells  us  how  the  man 
came  to  Jesus,  '  kneeling  to  him  '  and  addressing  him  as  '  Lord ' 
(xvii.  14,  15).  Luke,  taking  the  incident  perhaps  in  its  first  stage, 
puts  it  as  if  the  man  had  spoken  from  within  the  crowd — '  a  man 
from  the  multitude  cried '  (ix.  38). 

Master.     Here  again  in  the  sense  of  Teacher. 

I  brought  unto  thee  my  son.  From  this  we  infer  that  the 
father  had  come  expecting  to  find  Jesus  himself  there,  but  had  had 
to  be  content  with  the  disciples.  Matthew  refers  only  to  the 
application  to  the  disciples  (xvii.  16).  Luke  tells  us  that  the  boy 
was  the  man's  '  only  child  '  (ix.  38). 

a  dumb  spirit.  He  could  cry  out  (Lukeix.  39),  but  could  not 
utter  articulate  sounds.  It  appears  from  our  Lord's  word  that  the 
unclean  spirit  was  also  deaf  (ix.  25).  Cf.  the  case  in  Decapolis 
(vii.  32).  What  is  said  of  the  spirit  describes  what  is  the  condition 
of  the  afflicted  boy. 

18.  wheresoever  it  taketh  him.  The  boy  was  the  victim  of  fits, 
which  were  of  extreme  violence,  frequent  occurrence  ('oft-times,' 
ix.  33),  and  of  a  kind  that  might  come  upon  him  without  warning 
anywhere.  They  were  tke  convulsive,  recurrent,  perhaps  periodi- 
cal seizures  of  an  epileptic.  So  Matthew  represents  the  father  as 
saying — '  he  is  epileptic'  (xvii.  15). 

dasheth  him  down.  The  combined  accounts  of  the  three 
Synoptists  give  a  harrowing  picture  of  the  effects  of  these 
seizures — the  sudden  scream  ('  he  suddenly  crieth  out,'  Luke 
ix.  39  .  the  hurling  of  the  sufferer  on  the  ground,  the  tearing 
convulsions,  the  foaming  at  the  mouth,  the  wallowing,  the  grinding 


232  ST.  MARK  9.  19-22 

and  he  foameth,  and  grindeth  his  teeth,  and  pineth 
away :  and  I  spake  to  thy  disciples  that  they  should 
j 9  cast  it  out;  and  they  were  not  able.  And  he  answereth 
them  and  saith,  O  faithless  generation,  how  long  shall 
I  be  with  you  ?  how  long  shall  I  bear  with  you  ?  bring 

20  him  unto  me.  And  they  brought  him  unto  him :  and 
when  he  saw  him,  straightway  the  spirit  tare  him 
grievously;    and  he  fell  on  the  ground,  and  wallowed 

21  foaming.  And  he  asked  his  father,  How  long  time  is 
it    since   this    hath   come   unto    him?      And   he   said, 

22  From  a  child.  And  oft-times  it  hath  cast  him  both 
into  the  fire  and  into  the  waters,  to  destroy  him : 
but   if  thou  canst   do   anything,    have   compassion   on 

of  the  teeth,  the  pining,  wasting  form.  The  word  used  for  this 
last-mentioned  effect  is  the  one  used  of  the  withering  of  the  hand 
of  the  man  in  the  synagogue  (iii.  1),  of  the  plant  that  had  no  root 
(iv.  6),  of  the  grass  (Jas.  i.  n),  and  of  the  drying  up  of  the  water 
of  the  Euphrates  (Rev.  xvi.  12). 

I  spake  to  thy  disciples.  In  the  belief  that  they  had  the 
power,  having  perhaps  seen  it  used  to  good  effect  (vi.  12).  So 
that  he  too  would  be  surprised  at  the  failure. 

21.  he  asked  his  father.  The  interesting  details  given  from 
this  point  on  to  the  first  half  of  verse  25  are  peculiar  to  Mark. 
They  shew  at  how  early  a  stage  in  the  boy's  life  ('  from  a  child,' 
from  the  time  when  he  was  quite  a  little  boy)  these  seizures  began, 
how  frequent  they  were,  and  how  dreadful — taking  in  point  of  fact, 
as  the  casting  '  into  the  fire  and  into  the  waters  '  indicates,  the 
form  of  suicidal  frenzy.  They  shew  also  how  the  father's  faith 
had  been  tried,  and  how  nevertheless  it  could  rise  to  the  word  of 
Jesus. 

22.  if  thou  canst  do  anything".  The  leper  had  said,  'If  thou 
wilt,  thou  canst'  (i.  40).  But  this  man's  confidence  in  the 
Healer  had  suffered  the  shock  given  it  by  the  unexpected  power- 
lessness  of  the  disciples  of  the  Healer. 

23.  If  thou  canst !    This  is  a  repetition.     Jesus  takes  up  the 

I  father's  word  and  utters  it  again  with  a  touch  of  compassionate 
rebuke  ;  while  he  also  corrects  it  by  declaring  how  the  question 
of  the  ability  turns  upon  the  question  of  the  faith.  '  If  thou  canst, 
thou  sayest :  but  it  is  to  the  believer  that  all  becomes  possible.'  So 
the  question  of  the  possibility  of  healing  for  the  son  is  turned 
from  what  is  in  Jesus  to  what  is  in  the  father  himself. 


ST.  MARK   9.  23-26  253 

us,  and  help  us.      And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  If  thou  23 
canst !     All  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth. 
Straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried  out,  and  said,  34 
I  believe ;   help  thou  mine  unbelief.     And  when  Jesus  -5 
saw  that  a  multitude  came  running  together,  he  rebuked 
the  unclean  spirit,  saying  unto  him,  Thou  dumb  and 
deaf  spirit,   I  command  thee,   come  out  of  him,   and 
enter  no  more  into  him.      And  having  cried  out,  and  26 
torn  him  much,  he  came  out :    and  the  child  became 
as  one  dead ;  insomuch  that  the  more  part  said,  He  is 

24.  Straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried  out.     The 

father  understands  how  the  Master's  word  throws  him  back  in  the 
first  instance  upon  himself,  and  upon  the  spiritual  condition  on  his 
side  for  the  efficient  exercise  of  the  power  on  the  side  of  Jesus. 
Instantly  he  rises  to  a  higher  faith — a  faith,  too,  which  can  declare 
itself  openly,  and  at  the  same  time  recognizes  its  infirmity  and 
petitions  for  help  in  it.  The  father's  faith  is  accepted,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Syro-Phoenician  woman,  for  the  faith  which  the  sufferer  \ 
is  not  in  a  position  to  offer. 

help  thou  mine  unbelief.  The  help  which  is  needed,  he 
sees,  is  first  for  himself — for  the  faith  which  had  been  like  to  fail  in 
him,  for  the  unbelief  into  which  he  had  been  driven.  Those  who 
best  believe  best  know  the  unbelief  that  lurks  in  their  hearts. 
1  There  is  no  contradiction  here,  and  scarcely  even  paradox,  but 
only  deep  sincerity  in  the  beginnings  of  faith,  joined  with  the 
eagerness  of  strong  desire  for  a  special  gift '  ivClarke). 

25.  when  Jesus  saw  that  a  multitude  came  running-  together. 
In  the  father's  faith  the  condition  on  which  the  application  of  the 
healing  power  was  suspended  is  now  made  good.  There  is  no 
reason  for  further  delay.  There  is  an  obvious  reason  for 
speedy  action.  For  the  crowd  is  becoming  restless  and  excited. 
Jesus  sees  this,  and  at  once  speaks  the  word  of  expulsion  for  the 
unclean  spirit  and  deliverance  for  the  boy.  He  speaks  it  in  his  own 
name,  with  emphasis  on  the  / — '/  command  thee.' 

26.  torn  him  much.  The  command  had  been  uttered  in 
a  tone  of  particular  authority  and  in  very  definite  terms — '  come 
out  of  him,  and  enter  no  more  into  him.'  The  case  required  this, 
for  it  was  one  of  extraordinary  severity.  This  was  seen  in  its  very 
last  stage.  Convulsions  seized  the  boy  again  ere  he  obtained 
relief — convulsions  so  violent  and  protracted  that  they  left  him 
utterly  exhausted,  and  as  if  the  life  had  gone  out  of  him.  Most 
who  saw  him  took  him  indeed  for  dead. 


234  ST.  MARK   9.   27-30 

27  dead.      But  Jesus  took  him   by  the  hand,  and  raised 

28  him  up ;  and  he  arose.     And  when  he  was  come  into 
the  house,  his  disciples  asked  him  privately,  saying,  We 

29  could  not  cast  it  out.      And  he  said  unto  them,  This 
kind  can  come  out  by  nothing,  save  by  prayer. 

30  And  they  went  forth  from  thence,  and  passed  through 
Galilee ;   and  he  would  not  that  any  man  should  know 

27.  took  him  toy  the  hand.  So  giving  him  matter  of  fact  help 
in  his  collapse  and  raising  him  out  of  it ;  as  he  did  in  the  two 
previous  cases  of  Peter's  wife's  mother  (i.  31)  and  the  daughter 
of  Jai'rus  (v.  41).  And  the  cure  was  complete — the  sufferer  who 
lay  on  the  ground  still  and  helpless  as  a  corpse  arose,  and,  as 
Matthew  tells  us,  '  the  boy  was  cured  from  that  hour'  (xvii.  18). 
Luke  adds  that  Jesus  '  gave  him  back  to  his  father '  (ix.  42). 

28.  his  disciples  asked  him  privately.  Luke  alone  records 
the  impression  produced  on  the  people  by  this  miracle.  They 
recognized  the  hand  of  God  in  it — '  they  were  all  astonished  at 
the  majesty  of  God'  (ix.  43).  Matthew  and  Mark  notice  what 
happened  with  the  disciples  themselves.  The  work  being  finished, 
Jesus  leaves  the  excitable  crowd  and  goes  indoors.  When  the 
Twelve  are  in  private  with  him,  the  nine  ask  him,  as  it  was 
natural  for  them  to  do,  why  they  had  failed. 

29.  by  nothing",  save  hy  prayer.  The  A.  V.  adds  ;  and  fasting.' 
But  the  shorter  reading  of  the  R.V.  is  the  better  supported. 
With  '  this  kind,'  that  is  to  say,  this  kind  of  demons,  such 
aggravated  cases  of  possession,  nothing  availed  but  prayer.  The 
cause  of  the  inability  of  the  disciples,  therefore,  was  in  themselves. 
Matthew  reports  Jesus  to  have  told  them  in  explicit  terms  that  it 
was  because  of  their  '  little  faith.'  They  had  been  trusting  in  their 
commission,  and  had  thought  but  little  of  the  moral  conditions, 
those  of  prayer  and  faith,  on  which  the  efficiency  of  their  gift 
depended. 

ix.  30-32.  Second  open  Announcement  of  the  Passion  and  the 
Resurrection.     Cf.  Matt.  xvii.  22,  23  ;  Luke  ix.  43-45. 

30.  from  thence.  That  is,  from  the  foot  of  Hermon  and  the 
far  north. 

through  Galilee.  Thus  by  the  west  side  of  Jordan.  On  their 
way  to  Caesarea  Philippi  and  the  north  they  may  have  come  by 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  or  they  may  have  kept  by  the  west  side 
so  far  and  have  crossed  at  a  point  below  the  waters  of  Merom. 
The  route  which  they  took  now  was  probably  'by  Dan  across  the 
slopes  of  Lebanon,  thus  escaping  the  publicity  of  the  ordinary 
high  roads,  and  securing  secrecy  and  seclusion '  (Maclear). 


ST.  MARK   9.  31-34  235 

it.      For  he  taught  his  disciples,  and  said  unto  them,  31 
The  Son  of  man  is  delivered   up  into   the   hands   of 
men,  and  they  shall  kill  him ;    and  when  he  is  killed, 
after  three  days  he  shall  rise  again.      But  they  under-  32 
stood  not  the  saying,  and  were  afraid  to  ask  him. 

And  they  came  to  Capernaum  :    and  when  he  was  33 
in  the  house  he  asked  them,  What  were  ye  reasoning 
in  the  way  ?     But  they  held  their  peace :    for  they  had  34 

31.  taught  his  disciples.  Not  on  a  single  occasion,  but  re- 
peatedly during  the  course  of  the  journey.  This  teaching  and 
training  of  the  Twelve  made  his  work  then,  and  his  chief  subject 
was  his  Death  and  Resurrection.  Luke  adds  that  Jesus  bade  them 
let  his  words  on  these  great  topics  sink  into  their  ears  (ix.  44). 

delivered  up.  So  too,  in  Matthew.  A  still  clearer  announce- 
ment than  the  former. 

32.  afraid  to  ask  him.  So.  too;  in  Luke.  Matthew  says 
they  were  '  exceeding  sorry '  (xvii.  23).  They  had,  therefore, 
some  indistinct  and  painful  sense  of  what  he  meant,  but  no  proper 
comprehension  of  it ;  and  they  refrained  from  asking  him.  The 
awe  of  his  words  made  them  shrink  from  a  closer  acquaintance 
with  their  purport.  They  had  seen  also  how  Jesus  could  rebuke 
even  Peter  when  he  spoke  rash  words  on  the  former  occasion 
(Mark  viii.  33). 

ix.  33-37.  Discussions  about  Precedence:  cf.  Matt,  xviii.  1-5; 
Luke  ix.  46-48.  Immediately  before  this,  Matthew,  and  he  alone, 
introduces  the  narrative  of  the  half-shekel  in  the  mouth  of  the 
fish. 

33.  to  Capernaum.  Here  he  had  begun  his  Galilean  ministry, 
and  here,  so  far  as  the  Gospels  shew,  he  closed  it.  After  his 
Resurrection  he  may  have  been  twice  at  least  in  the  neighbourhood 
'Matt,  xxviii.  16  ;  John  xxi.  1).  But  there  is  no  reference  to  his 
being  in  the  town  itself  from  the  time  of  this  return  onwards. 
His  wa31'  now  was  to  be  to  the  south. 

in  the  house.  Perhaps  Simon's  house,  or  Levi's  (i.  29, 
ii.   15). 

asked  them.  He  had  observed  them  disputing  on  the  way, 
and  perhaps  had  overheard  them  in  part. 

34.  held  their  peace.  Realizing  now  the  impropriety  of  their 
conduct.  Mark  and  Luke  refer  to  the  discussion  as  if  it  did  not 
go  beyond  the  disciples  themselves.  Matthew  tells  us  that  the 
disciples,  perhaps  at  a  further  point  in  our  Lord's  address,  came 
to  Jesus  with  the  question — '  Who  then  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom 


236  ST.  MARK  9.  35-37 

disputed  one  with  another   in   the  way,   who  was  the 

35  greatest.      And   he   sat  down,  and  called   the   twelve ; 
and  he  saith  unto  them,  If  any  man  would  be  first, 

36  he  shall  be  last  of  all,  and  minister  of  all.     And  he 
took  a  little  child,  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them  : 

37  and  taking  him  in  his  arms,  he  said  unto  them,  Who- 
soever shall  receive  one  of  such  little  children  in  my 

of  heaven  ? '  (xviii.  1).  The  discussion  probably  had  its  occasion  in 
the  selection  of  the  three  to  be  the  companions  of  their  Master 
on  the  mount.  Did  this  mean  that  these  three  were  greater  than 
the  rest  of  them  ?  Were  there  to  be  such  distinctions  and  pre- 
ferences in  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah  ? 

35.  sat  down.  As  a  Jewish  Rabbi  did  when  he  was  about  to 
teach. 

the  twelve.  The  entire  Apostolic  band.  All  had  need  to 
learn  what  true  greatness  was,  and  how  it  was  to  be  attained  in 
the  new  kingdom  Jesus  founded.  The  lesson  was  repeated  on 
a  later  occasion  (Matt,  xxiii.  8,  &c. ;  Luke  xxii.  24,  &c). 

If  any  man  would  be  first.  The  lesson  is  given  first  in 
the  form  of  deliberate,  oral  statement.  The  condition  of  greatness 
in  his  kingdom  is  the  spiritual  condition  of  humility — a  humility 
that  glories  in  service,  the  service  not  of  a  class  but  of  all. 

36.  took  a  little  child.  The  verbal  lesson  is  followed  up  by  an 
object-lesson  which  none  could  mistake.  A  child  is  looking  on 
or  amusing  himself  near  by.  He  is  unnamed.  There  is  a  tradition, 
but  one  of  small  value,  that  he  was  the  Ignatius  who  grew  up  to 
be  the  famous  bishop  and  martyr.  It  is  suggested  that  he  may 
have  been  Peter's  child  (cf.  i.  30).  Jesus  calls  the  little  one 
(Matt,  xviii.  2)  as  he  had  called  the  disciples,  and  takes  him 
beside  himself  ('by  his  side,'  says  Luke,  ix.  47),  and  sets  him  in 
the  heart  of  the  company  of  the  Twelve,  and  then  lifts  him  up 
into  his  arms,  and  so  repeats  his  lesson.  Mark  alone  records 
the  taking  of  the  child  into  his  arms.  Matthew  gives  the  words 
which  he  spoke  on  the  occasion  at  greater  length  (xviii.  3,  &c). 
Jesus  had  himself  been  taken  as  a  babe  into  the  arms  of  the  aged 
Simeon  (Luke  ii.  28). 

37.  receive  one  of  such  little  children.  This  child  was  the 
representative  of  the  class  of  little  children,  and  a  type  also  of 
the  order  of  true  disciples — simple,  trustful,  unassuming. 

in  my  name:  lit.  ion  my  name,'  that  is,  'on  the  ground  of 
what  I  am,'  'out  of  regard  for  me.'  The  'name1  is  the  sum  of 
what  a  man  is  known  to  be  and  to  do.  The  '  name  of  Christ'  is  all 
that  he  is  revealed  to  be  in  dignity,  character,  authority,  and  deed. 


ST.  MARK  9.  38,39  237 

name,    receiveth    me :    and    whosoever    receiveth    me, 
receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that  sent  me. 

John    said   unto   him,    Master,   we   saw   one   casting  38 
out  devils  in  thy  name:   and  we  forbade  him,  because 
he  followed  not  us.     But  Jesus  said,  Forbid  him  not :  39 

receiveth  .  .  .  him  that  sent  me.  True  greatness  is  found 
not  in  the  assertion  of  self  above  others,  but  in  lowly  self-denying 
service  v^r  others.  The  note  of  true  discipleship  is  the  possession 
of  the  spirit  of  a  child,  which  is  the  spirit  of  Christ.  To  recognize 
this  spirit  and  receive  the  humble  disciple  in  whom  it  is  seen, 
is  to  recognize  and  receive  Christ  himself.  Nor  is  this  the  end 
of  all.  So  to  receive  Christ  is  to  receive  God  Himself.  For 
Christ  is  in  the  world,  not  of  himself,  but  as  sent  by  God  and 
representing  God. 

ix.  38-40.  John's  report  of  a  case  of  interference  zvith  the  work  of 
one  out         the  circle  of  disciples :  cf.  Luke  ix.  49,  50. 

38.  John  said.  John  seldom  appears  in  any  prominent  way 
in  the  S3  floptical  narratives,  and  only  on  this  one  occasion  is  he 
spokesman.  He  is  coupled  with  James  in  the  ambitious  request 
for  the  chief  places  in  the  kingdom  (x.  35),  and  with  Peter  and 
James  an  I  Andrew  in  the  question  about  the  time  of  the  end 
(xiii.  3). 

we  *aw  one  casting1  out  devils  ('  demons')  in  thy  name. 
The  Master's  word  just  uttered  about  receiving  one  in  his  name 
recalls  an  incident  in  the  work  of  the  disciples,  and  John  is  not 
the  man  to  keep  it  back.  Where  or  when  the  incident  took  place 
is  not   t  Probably  it  was  during  the  mission   in   Northern 

Galilee  on  which  they  had  already  reported. 

we  foibade  him  :  or  rather,  l  tried  to  forbid  him.'  They  had 
seen  one,  /ho  had  not  the  right  that  comes  from  discipleship  and 
the  possession  of  a  commission,  taking  a  liberty,  as  they  judged  it, 
with  the  name  of  Jesus  in  the  work  of  exorcism,  and  they  tried 
to  stop  him.  John  is  uneasy  about  this.  Were  they  right  in  so 
acting?  Was  this  in  accordance  with  the  Master's  mind?  Jesus 
had  spoken  of  doing  something  in  his  name,  but  it  was  receiving, 
not  rejecting. 

because  he  followed  not  us.  But  Luke  says,  '  because  he 
followeth  not  with  us'  (ix.  49s.  They  had  a  reason  for  their  action, 
and  John  states  it.  It  was  the  fact  that  the  man  was  not  one  of 
themselves,  a  fellow  disciple.  The  narrative  suggests,  especially 
in  Christ's  reply,  that  the  man,  though  he  had  not  joined  the  circle 
of  professed  disciples,  acted  in  sincerity  and  believed  in  some 
measure  in  Jesus  and  the  power  of  his  name. 

39.  Forbid  him  not.      The  answer  of  Jesus  to  the  implied 


238  ST.  MARK  9.  40-41 

for  there  is  no  man  which  shall  do  a  mighty  work  in 
my  name,  and  be  able  quickly  to  speak  evil  of  me. 
4°»  41  For  he  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us.  For  whosoever 
shall  give  you  a  cup  of  water  to  drink,  because  ye  are 
Christ's,   verily   I   say  unto  you,  he   shall   in   no  wise 

question  of  John  was  direct  and  definite.  It  meant  that  they  had 
erred  by  excess  of  zeal.  To  such  a  man  their  attitude  bad  best 
been  one  of  neutrality,  or  sufferance,  not  of  positive  repudiation. 
Compare  the  case  of  Joshua  and  the  reply  of  Moses  (Num.  xi. 
28,  29). 

speak  evil  of  me.  Jesus,  too,  gives  his  reason.  There  was 
nothing  to  fear  from  leaving  such  a  case  alone.  A  man  who, 
though  yet  outside,  had  faith  enough  in  the  power  of  the  name  of 
Jesus  to  think  of  using  it  in  casting  out  demons,  was  not  likely  to 
prove  an  enemy.     Rather  might  he  be  gained  as  a  friend, 

40.  Por  he  that  is  not  against  xxs  is  for  us.  On  other 
occasion,  but  also  in  connexion  with  a  case  of  possession.  Jesus 
said — '  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me '  (Matt.  xii.  30}.  The 
cases  are  different,  and  the  two  sayings  are  in  principle  the  same. 
It  is  the  simple  principle  that  we  cannot  be  for  and  against,  friend 
and  foe,  at  the  same  time.  One  cannot  be  against  Christ  if  he  has 
faith,  however  imperfect,  in  his  name.  One  cannot  be  the  friend 
of  Christ  if  he  has  so  little  faith  in  him  as  to  think  that  his  works 
are  works  of  Satan.  The  one  saying  does  not  negative  the  other, 
but  supplements  it.  The  one  deals  with  our  conduct  towards 
others,  of  whose  acts  we  are  partial  judges  ;  the  other  with  our 
inner  attitude  to  Christ. 

ix.  41-50.  Resumption  of  our  Lord's  teaching  on  discipleship. 
The  question  of  offences.     Cf.  Matt,  xviii.  6-9  ;  Luke  xviA.  1,  2. 

41.  because  ye  are  Christ's.  The  sentence  means  literally,  as 
it  is  given  in  the  margin  of  the  R.  V.,  'in  name  that  ye  are  Christ's,' 
that  is,  on  the  ground  that  ye  belong  to  Christ.  Hence  the  great 
Pauline  phrase  (1  Cor.  iii.  23  ;  2  Cor.  x.  7 ;  cf.  also  Rom.  viii.  9  ; 
1  Cor.  i.  12).  At  this  point  the  teaching,  which  had  been  broken 
in  upon  by  John's  report,  is  resumed.  The  subject  remains  the 
same,  and  Jesus  proceeds  to  speak  first  of  the  worth  of  the 
smallest  service  rendered  to  a  disciple  in  the  spirit  of  a  disciple. 
So  simple  an  act  as  the  giving  of  a  cup  of  cold  water — a  thing  that 
no  one  in  these  hot  lands  would  grudge  to  do — if  done  for  Christ's 
sake,  has  a  certain  and  enduring  reward.  The  use  of  the  official 
term  ' Christ'  in  place  of  f  the  Son  of  man,'  is  to  be  noticed  here. 
The  time  is  coming  when  the  Messianic  claims  of  Jesus  are  to  be 
made  openty  and  definitely. 


ST.  MARK   <).  42,43  239 

lose  his  reward.  And  whosoever  shall  cause  one  of  42 
these  little  ones  that  believe  on  me  to  stumble,  it 
were  better  for  him  if  a  great  millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck,  and  he  were  cast  into  the  sea.  And  43 
if  thy  hand  cause  thee  to  stumble,  cut  it  off:  it  is 
good  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed,  rather  than 
having   thy  two  hands   to   go   into   hell,   into   the   un- 

42.  cause  ...  to  stumble.  On  the  other  hand  an  injury  (it  is 
a  spiritual  injury  that  is  in  view)  done  to  a  disciple,  however  lowly, 
brings  heavy  penalty  to  the  wrongdoer.  The  infirm  ones,  who 
can  be  so  easily  hurt,  ought  to  have  special  consideration.  On 
this  principle  Jesus  himself  acted,  even  in  the  case  of  those  outside 
(cf.  Matt.  xvii.  27.  This  principle  of  patient  regard  for  the  weak 
has  a  large  place  also  both  in  the  teaching  and  in  the  practice 
of  Paul  (Rom.  xiv.  21  ;   1  Cor.  viii.  13  ;  2  Cor.  xi.  29). 

better  for  him  if  a  great  millstone.  The  word  means 
literally  '  an  ass-millstone,'  that  is  one  turned  by  an  ass.  What  is 
meant  by  this  ?  The  ordina^  hand-mill,  as  it  may  be  seen  in  the 
East  to-day,  consisted  of  two  circular  stones  one  above  the  other, 
the  upper  one  being  the  one  that  did  the  grinding.  It  was  worked 
by  women,  female  slaves,  and  others  (Exod.  xi.  5  ;  Judges  ix.  53). 
This  upper  stone  was  sometimes  called  the  'ass,'  and  so  some 
think  this  is  what  is  in  view  here.  But  it  is  only  in  classical  Greek 
that  th*  word  *  ass '  is  so  used.  Hence  the  reference  is  to  another 
kind  0  nillstone,  the  tdhdnet,  which  was  large  enough  to  require 
an  animal  to  work  it.  A  strong  figure  expressing  utter  loss, 
a  periRl  Ly  from  which  there  is  no  escape. 

43.  if  thy  band  cause  tbee  to  stumble.  Jesus  carries  this 
serious  question  of  offences  now  from  the  case  of  injuries  inflicted 
on  ot  1  ,s  to  that  of  wrongs  done  to  ourselves.  Spiritual  hurt  may 
com*  t<  a  man  from  himself,  from  some  part  of  his  nature  which  he 
surh  to  become  unsound.  What  he  does  injuriously  or  incon- 
sidera*ely  to  others  may  also  mean  injury  to  himself.     It  is  his 

n,  therefore,  to  cut  off  the  occasion  at  whatever  cost  and 

wli       ver  it  may  lie,  whether  in  hand,  in  foot,  or  in  eye.     In  the 

personal  life,  too,  such  is  the  need  for  self-sacrifice. 

into  life.     Life,  that  is,  in  the  sense  not  of  mere  existence, 

but  the  good  or  joy  of  life — '  life  that  is  life  indeed  '  (1  Tim.  vi.  19). 
into  bell.  That  is,  '  into  Gehenna.'  This  word  Gehenna, 
gh  it  is  not  found  in  the  Fourth  Gospel,  occurs  eleven  times 

m  the  Synoptists.    It  represents  the  O.T.  Ge  Hinnom,  •  the  valley 
Hinnom,'   'the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom,'  'the  valley  of 

the  children  of  Hinnom'  (Neh.  xi.  30;  Joshua  xv.  8,  xviii.   16; 


240  ST.  MARK   9.  45-49 

45  qnenchable  fire.  And  if  thy  foot  cause  thee  to  stumble, 
cut  it  off:  it  is  good  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  halt, 
rather  than  having  thy  two  feet  to  be  cast  into  hell. 

47  And  if  thine  eye  cause  thee  to  stumble,  cast  it  out : 
it  is  good  for  thee  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God 
with  one  eye,  rather  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast 

48  into   hell ;    where  their  worm  dieth   not,  and  the  fire 

49  is  not  quenched.     For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with 

2  Chron.  xxviii.  3  ;  Jer.  vii.  32  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  to)  ;  the  name 
given  to  a  gorge  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem  where  in 
ancient  times  idolatrous  Israelites  practised  the  horrid  rites  of 
Moloch.  The  Topheth  in  it,  which  was  associated  with  the 
sacrifices  of  children,  was  defiled  by  Josiah,  and  the  place  became 
a  receptacle  for  the  dead  bodies  of  animals  and  refuse  of  all  kinds. 
The  horrors  associated  with  the  name  made  it  a  natural  figure  for 
the  place  of  future  punishment,  and  that  sense  it  bears  in  the  later 
Jewish  books,  the  Book  of  Enoch  (xxvii.  1),  the  Sibylline  Oracles 
(i.  103),  4  Esdras  (ii.  29),  &c.  Our  Lord  uses  it  here  and  else- 
where, in  his  most  solemn  utterances,  in  this  sense  of  the  final 
place  or  condition  of  retribution. 

into  the  unquenchable  fire.  Another  figure  of  speech, 
recalling  the  closing  words  of  the  second  Isaiah  (Jxvi.  24).  It  is 
taken  perhaps  from  the  fires  that  burned  in  the  ancient  G 
Hiimom.  The  existence  of  these  fires,  however,  which  are 
alleged  to  have  been  kept  burning  perpetually  for  the  consumption 
of  the  offal  deposited  in  the  ravine,  is  not  certain.  In  any  ase  it 
is  the  figure  of  a  lasting  spiritual  penalty.  Verses  44,  46,  which 
appear  in  the  A.  V.,  are  rightly  omitted  by  the  R.V.  as  being 
insufficiently  attested. 

47.  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  phrase  is  used  hen  as  an 
equivalent  to  the  '  life,'  which  in  the  previous  verses  expresses 
one  of  the  two  final  issues  of  our  doings  with  others  and  with 
ourselves. 

48.  where  their  worm  dieth  not.  Yet  another  strong  figure, 
again  recalling  Isa.  lxvi.  24,  and  expressing  a  future,  spiritual 
penalty  that  does  not  exhaust  itself.  It  is  'a  figurative  designation' 
says  Meyer,  '  of  the  extremely  painful  and  endless  punishments  of 
hell  (not  merely  the  terrors  of  conscience).' 

49.  every  one  shall  he  salted  with  fire.  The  clause  added 
by  the  A. V.,  'and  every  sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt,1  has 
considerable  support,  but  not  enough  to  give  it  a  sure  place  in 
the  text.  This  declaration  about  being  salted  with  fire  stands 
absolutely  alone  in  the  Gospels.     Its  meaning  and  its  particular 


ST.   MARK   9.  50—IO.   1  241 

fire.     Salt  is  good :  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  saltness,  5° 
wherewith  will  ye  season  it?     Have  salt  in  yourselves, 
and  be  at  peace  one  with  another. 

And   he   arose   from    thence,    and    cometh   into   the  10 

point  here  are  not  easy  to  grasp.  It  is  introduced  in  explanation 
or  enforcement  of  the  preceding  solemn  statement,  which  inculcates 
the  wisdom  of  sacrificing  hand,  foot,  or  eye  rather  than  risk  endless 
loss.  It  seems  to  be  connected  with  the  immediately  preceding 
mention  of  a  fire  that  is  not  quenched,  as  if  the  words  had  run 
thus — 'Yes,  the  fire,  I  say,  is  not  quenched,  for  it  is  with  fire  all 
are  to  be  salted.'  The  key  to  its  meaning  is  found  probably  in 
the  Levitical  regulation  which  provided  that  with  all  oblations  salt 
was  to  be  offered  (Lev.  ii.  13).  Salt  was  used  in  connexion 
with  the  making  of  covenants,  and  the  sacrificial  salt  of  the 
Levitical  offerings  was  the  symbol  of  the  covenant-relation  be- 
tween God  and  Israel.  But  that  covenant  had  its  responsibilities 
and  its  retributive  side  to  the  faithless,  as  well  as  its  gracious  side 
to  the  true.  So  the  disciples  of  Christ  are  in  a  covenant-relation, 
and  there  is  a  test  of  their  attitude  to  it  by  which  each  of  them 
shall  be  tried.  That  test  is  a  Divine  fire,  the  fire  of  the  Divine 
holiness,  which  has  a  twofold  action,  as  the  covenant-relation 
has  a  twofold  aspect.  In  the  case  of  the  true  it  will  preserve 
and  purify  and  bring  reward  ;  in  the  case  of  the  false,  who  enter 
into  Gehenna,  it  will  burn  and  bring  penalty.  Hence  the  necessity 
for  the  practise  of  the  sacrifice  of  self,  that  that  reward  may  be 
gained  and  this  loss  escaped. 

50.  lost  its  saltness.  The  sweeping  out  of  salt  that  has  lost 
its  virtue  and  become  useless  or  hurtful,  travellers  tell  us,  is  still 
a  common  sight  in  Palestine. 

wherewith  will  ye  season  it?  Salt  once  spoilt  can  never 
have  its  saltness  restored.  So  if  the  qualities  which  make  the 
true  disciple — fidelity  to  his  covenant-relation,  consideration  for 
the  weak,  self-abnegation,  and  the  like — are  turned  to  faithlessness 
and  selfishness,  what  remains  of  the  discipleship,  and  what  can 
restore  the  loss  ? 

Have  salt  in  yourselves.  Be  true  to  your  covenant  obliga- 
tions, to  all  that  makes  your  discipleship. 

and  be  at  peace  one  with  another.  Let  this  fidelity  to  your 
relation  to  Christ  fulfil  itself  in  brotherly  relations  with  one  and 
another.  So  the  words  bring  us  back  to  the  disputing  of  the 
disciples  (ix.  33s)  which  had  been  their  occasion.  Selfish  claims 
for  the  chief  places,  wranglings  about  precedence — such  things 
are  not  of  the  spirit  of  the  disciple. 

x.  1  12.  Departure  from  Galilee.  Questions  of  Divorce:  cf. 
Matt.  xix.   1  9.     Partial  parallels  also  in  Matt.  v.  31,  32  ;   Luke 


242  ST.  MARK   10.  2-5 

borders  of  Judaea  and  beyond  Jordan :  and  multitudes 
come  together  unto  him  again;    and,  as  he  was  wont, 

2  he   taught   them   again.      And   there   came    unto   him 
Pharisees,  and  asked  him,  Is   it   lawful  for  a  man  to 

3  put  away  his  wife?    tempting  him.     And  he  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  What  did  Moses  command  you  ? 

4  And  they  said,  Moses  suffered  to  write  a  bill  of  divorce- 

5  ment,  and  to  put  her  away.     But  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
For  your  hardness  of  heart  he  wrote  you  this  command- 

xvi.  18.  Mark  omits  (as  also  does  Matthew)  a  number  of  events 
for  our  knowledge  of  which  we  are  dependent  on  John.  These 
include  two  visits  to  Jerusalem,  at  the  time  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles, and  again  at  the  time  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication  (John 
vii.  14,  x.  22)  ;  the  retreat  beyond  Jordan  '  into  the  place  where 
John  was  at  the  first  baptizing'  (John  x.  40)  ;  the  visit  to  Bethany 
and  the  raising  of  Lazarus  (John  xi.  1-46)  ;  the  counsel  of  Caiaphas 
and  the  withdrawal  to  Ephraim  (John  xi.  47-54). 

1.  arose  from  thence.  It  was  the  Lord's  final  departure  from 
Galilee.  Jerusalem  was  now  his  goal,  but  his  way  took  him  first 
to  the  borders  of  Judaea  and  into  Peraea.  The  Fourth  Gospel,  as 
we  have  seen,  indicates  that  before  the  raising  of  Lazarus  and  his 
final  journey  to  Jerusalem  he  went  into  the  parts  beyond  Jordan 
and  did  miracles  there  (John  x.  40-42).  Multitudes  still  kept  by 
him,  and  he  taught  them. 

2.  came  xinto  him  Pharisees.  That  is,  certain  members  of 
that  class,  quick  to  try  him  again  with  entangling  questions  as  he 
began  again  to  teach  publicly. 

put  away  his  wife.  Jesus  had  already  declared  himself  on 
the  subject  of  divorce,  but  before  a  different  audience  (Matt.  v.  31, 
32).  These  Pharisees  put  their  question  'tempting  him,'  for  a 
negative  reply  might  bring  him  into  conflict  with  the  Mosaic  Law. 
It  might  also  be  turned  to  account  against  him  with  Antipas. 

3.  What  did  Moses  command  yon?  Jesus  turns  the  point  of 
their  question  by  appealing  at  once  to  the  authority  which  they 
recognized. 

4.  bill  of  divorcement :  see  Deut.  xxiv.  1-4.  The  Deutero- 
nomic  statement  of  the  grounds  on  which  an  act  of  divorce  might 
proceed  was  differently  interpreted  by  the  Rabbis,  the  school  of 
Shammai  and  the  school  of  Hillel  being  sharply  divided  on  the 
subject.  The  Pharisees  here  say  nothing  of  the  reasons  to  justify 
an  act  of  divorcement,  but  refer  only  to  the  clause  in  the  Law 
allowing  it. 

5.  For  your   hardness  of  heart   he   wrote   you   this  com- 


ST.  MARK    10.  6-n  243 

nicnt.  But  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation,  Male  6 
and  female  made  he  them.  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  7 
leave  his  father  and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  to  his 
wife ;  and  the  twain  shall  become  one  flesh :  so  that  8 
they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh.  What  therefore  9 
God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder. 
And  in  the  house  the  disciples  asked  him  again  of  10 
this  matter.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Whosoever  shall  1 1 
put  away  his  wife,  and  marry  another,  committeth  adultery 

mandment.  It  is  not  meant  that  the  Mosaic  Law  enjoined 
divorce  or  encouraged  it,  but  only  that  it  permitted  it  and  controlled 
it.  The  '  commandment'  here  is  the  regulation  referred  to,  and  its 
object  was  to  check  abuse  and  protect  the  wife.  The  Deuteronomic 
Law  did  no  more  than  permit  divorce,  and  that  for  a  particular 
reason — the  moral  condition  of  the  people  it  had  to  deal  with — the 
*  hardness  of  their  hearts.' 

6.  But  from  the  beginning1  of  the  creation.  The  permissive 
ordinance  of  the  Mosaic  Law  was  also  only  provisional  and 
temporary.  Divorce  was  not  contemplated  in  the  original  relation 
of  man  and  woman. 

8.  the  twain  shall  become  one  flesh.  The  creation  of  man, 
male  and  female,  is  the  ground  for  the  common  life  of  the  marriage 
union,  and  that  life  makes  husband  and  wife  in  such  sense  one  that 
every  other  relation,  even  the  filial,  must  yield  to  it.  The  words 
attributed  to  the  first  man  in  the  O.  T.  record  of  creation  (Gen. 
ii.  24)  are  here  made  his  own  by  the  Son  of  man.  In  Matthew 
they  are  given  to  the  Creator  himself  (xix.  4-6).  Cf.  also 
1  Cor.  vi.  16  ;  Eph.  v.  31. 

10.  in  the  house.  The  house  which  was  the  home  of  the 
disciples  for  the  time.  Where  it  was  is  not  stated.  Some  take 
them  to  have  been  at  this  time  at  Ephraim,  the  city  mentioned  by 
John  (xi.  54),  which  is  thought  by  some  to  have  been  near  Ophrah, 
not  far  from  Bethel,  and  to  be  the  same  as  the  modern  Taiyibeh,  some 
twenty  Roman  miles  north-east  of  Jerusalem.  Others  suppose  them 
to  have  been  somewhere  in  Peraea.  Matthew  continues  the  state- 
ment on  divorce  as  if  the  whole  had  been  addressed  to  the 
Pharisees.  Mark  gives  the  particulars  more  fully,  and  records  the 
fact  that  Jesus  was  again  interrogated  on  the  subject,  but  now  by 
the  disciples  themselves  when  they  had  returned  to  their  house. 

11.  Whosoever  shall  put  away.  The  statement  is  given 
absolutely  here,  as  if  divorce  could  in  no  case  be  followed  lawfully 
by  another  marriage  union.  But  in  Matt.  v.  32  and  again  in  xix.  9 
one  important  qualification  of  the  absoluteness  of  the  declaration 

R    2 


244  ST.  MARK   10.  12-14 

12  against  her :  and  if  she  herself  shall  put  away  her  husband, 
and  marry  another,  she  committeth  adultery. 

13  And  they  brought  unto  him  little  children,  that  he 
should  touch  them  :    and  the  disciples  rebuked  them. 

14  But  when  Jesus  saw  it,  he  was  moved  with  indignation, 

is  given.  One  offence,  but  only  one,  is  mentioned  as  justifying 
divorce,  and  when  divorce  proceeds  on  that  ground  the  marriage 
of  the  man  who  puts  away  his  wife  is  not  unlawful.  That  is  the 
natural  inference  from  the  words.  Yet  many  Roman  Catholic 
divines  and  not  a  few  Anglicans  affirm  that,  so  long  as  the  divorced 
wife  is  alive,  however  guilty  she  may  have  been,  the  husband 
cannot  marry  again. 

12.  if  she  herself  shall  put  away  her  husband.  The  wife's 
right  to  divorce  the  husband  was  not  recognized  among  the  Jews. 
Cases  like  those  of  Michal  (1  Sam.  xxv.  44)  and  Herodias  (Matt, 
xiv.  3,  &c.^  were  exceptional.  Josephus  states  that  while  the 
husband  might  put  away  the  wife  and  give  her  a  bill  of  divorce- 
ment, it  was  not  lawful  for  a  wife  who  voluntarily  departed  from 
her  husband  to  be  married  to  another,  unless  her  former  husband 
renounced  her  \Antiq.  xv.  vii.  10).  But  among  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  the  wife  had  the  right  of  divorce,  and  Jesus  concludes  his 
statement  by  a  reference  to  the  heathen  custom.  This  was  the 
more  appropriate  because  the  disciples  had  been  so  recently  in 
heathen  circles. 

x.  13-16.  Incident  of  the  blessing  of  children  :  cf.  Matt.  xix.  13-15 ; 
Luke  xviii.  15-17.  Each  of  the  three  narratives  has  something 
distinctive. 

13.  little  children.  The  word  used  by  Mark  is  applicable  to 
children  of  twelve  years  of  age  (Mark  v.  39,  42)  and  to  infants  eight 
days  old  (Gen.  xvii.  12).  Luke  uses  a  word  more  definitely 
applicable  to  babes  and  very  young  children  (Luke  xviii.  15  ;  cf. 
Luke  ii.  12,  16;  2  Tim.  iii.  15).  The  children,  therefore,  were  of 
different  ages,  babes  in  arms  and  little  ones  somewhat  grown,  but 
yet  young  enough  to  need  the  mother's  care. 

touch  them.  Matthew  puts  it '  that  he  should  lay  his  hands  on 
them,  and  pray  '  (xix.  13").  The  touch,  with  reference  to  the  power 
they  believed  to  be  in  him  (cf.  the  case  of  the  woman  with  the  issue 
of  blood) ;  the  laying  on  of  hands,  with  reference  to  the  benediction 
which  the  ruler  of  a  synagogue  was  wont  to  pronounce.  Cf.  the 
case  of  Israel  blessing  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  (Gen.  xlviii.  14). 

rebuked  them :  in  mistaken  concern  for  the  Master's  dignity 
or  ease. 

14.  moved  with  indignation.  Wrath  together  with  grief  is 
ascribed  to  Jesus  in  Mark  iii.   5.     This  is  the  only  occasion  on 


ST.  MARK   10.  15-17  ?45 

and  said  unto  them,  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come 
unto  me ;  forbid  them  not :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom 
of  God.      Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  15 
receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall 
in  no  wise  enter  therein.     And  he  took  them  in  his  16 
arms,  and  blessed  them,  laying  his  hands  upon  them. 
And  as  he  was  going  forth  into  the  way,  there  ran  17 

which  the  expressive  word  selected  here  for  indignation  is  used  of 
him.  It  is  the  word  that  describes  the  indignation  or  sore  dis- 
pleasure of  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  when  the  children  in  the 
Temple  cried,  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David  (Matt.  xxi.  15).  It  was 
a  disappointment  that  kindled  strong  feeling  to  see  his  mind  so 
misunderstood  and  his  gracious  work  hindered,  and  that  by  the 
very  men  he  had  been  instructing  so  patiently. 

suffer  .  .  .  forbid  them  not.  The  charter  of  the  children's 
rights.  Words  of  infinite  grace  to  all  parents,  but  spoken  to  the 
mistaken  disciples  in  tones  that  at  once  arrested  them.  '  We  hear 
the  Lord's  indignant  call,  as  it* startles  the  disciples  in  the  act  of 
dismissing  the  party  '  (Swete). 

of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  graces  of  innocence, 
simplicity,  trustfulness,  tenderness,  docility,  affection  seen  in 
children  are  the  very  qualities  that  make  the  moral  condition  for 
entrance  into  the  kingdom.  They  that  have  them  cannot  be 
forbidden,  for  they  belong  to  the  kingdom. 

15.  Verily.  With  these  great  words  regarding  children  and  the 
children's  spirit  Jesus  concludes  the  instructions  which  had  begun 
with  the  question  of  the  sacredness  of  the  wedded  life.  He  sets 
his  seal  on  them  by  his  solemn  formula — '  Verily  I  say  unto  you.' 
But  he  has  one  thing  yet  to  do  before  he  lets  these  little  ones  go. 

16.  he  took  them  in  his  arms.  This  is  noticed  only  by  Mark. 
Already  Jesus  had  selected  one  little  child  and  had  taken  him  up 
in  his  arms  (ix.  36).  Now  at  the  end  of  this  discourse  he  repeats 
the  act  on  a  larger  scale,  lifting  each  of  these  little  ones  (we  may 
infer),  as  they  were  brought  one  after  another  to  him,  up  into  his 
arms.  He  brings  the  incident  to  an  end  by  pronouncing  over  them 
his  benediction  with  the  laying  on  of  hands.  Luke  omits  this. 
Matthew  records  the  laying  on  of  hands,  but  not  the  loving 
embrace. 

x.  17-22.  The  incident  of  the  Rich  Young  Man.  Cf.  Matt.  xix. 
16-22  ;   Luke  xviii.  18-23. 

17.  into  the  way:  or,  as  in  margin,  'on  his  way.'  This 
interesting  incident  took  place  just  as  Jesus  was  resuming  his 
journey. 


246  ST.  MARK    10.   18,  19 

one  to  him,  and  kneeled  to  him,  and  asked  him,  Good 
Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life  ? 

18  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Why  callest  thou  me  good  ? 

19  none  is  good  save  one,  even  God.     Thou  knowest  the 

ran  one  to  him.  From  Matthew  we  learn  that  he  was 
young,  the  term  'young  man'  being  one,  however,  that  might 
cover  any  age  from  earliest  manhood  to  middle  life  (xix.  22)  ; 
and  from  Luke  that  he  was  a  '  ruler,'  a  person  of  position, 
perhaps  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  (xviii.  18).  All  three 
Gospels  notice  his  wealth.  Mark  alone  mentions  that  he  'ran' 
to  Jesus,  so  eager  was  he. 

kneeled  to  him :  another  fact  shewing  his  earnestness  and 
his  sense  of  the  dignity  of  this  new  teacher,  noticed  only  by  Mark. 

Good  Master  :  that  is,  'Teacher.'  The  young  man  recognized 
Jesus  as  a  great  Rabbi,  one  of  eminent  character,  and  he  saluted 
him  reverently  as  such,  as  pupils  were  accustomed  to  do  homage 
to  distinguished  teachers.  But  he  had  no  higher  idea  of  what 
Jesus  was. 

inherit  eternal  life:  this  great  phrase  'eternal  life'  occurs 
first  in  Daniel  (xii.  2),  and  there  as  a  contrast  to  '  eternal '  or 
'  everlasting '  '  contempt.'  It  was  familiar  to  the  Jews,  especially 
to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees.  It  had  become  a  frequent  subject 
of  discussion,  and  in  connexion  with  it  many  questions,  some  of 
them  serious  and  others  more  theoretical,  had  arisen.  In  Luke 
(x.  25)  we  have  the  question  which  is  put  here  by  an  earnest 
inquirer  put  in  a  very  different  spirit  by  a  lawyer.  The  question 
and  the  answer  are  given  in  substantially  the  same  form  in  Mark 
and  in  Luke.  They  appear  somewhat  differently  in  Matthew. 
There,  according  to  the  best  reading,  the  question  is,  '  What  good 
thing  shall  I  do,  that  I  may  have  eternal  life  ? '  and  the  answer 
is — '  Why  askest  thou  me  concerning  that  which  is  good  ?  One 
there  is  who  is  good '  (xix.  17). 

18.  Why  callest  thou  me  good  ?  The  young  man's  sincerity 
and  earnestness  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt.  But  his  ideas  were 
superficial.  It  is  to  correct  these,  not  to  disclaim  his  own  moral 
perfection  or  to  make  himself  simplv  a  man,  one  of  the  ordinary, 
erring  children  of  humanity,  that  Jesus  replies  in  these  terms. 
The  ruler  had  no  proper  conception  of  what  '  eternal  life/  as 
Jesus  conceived  it,  was  ;  and  his  notion  of  goodness  was  inadequate. 
Jesus  throws  the  inquirer  back  upon  himself  by  apparently 
disowning  the  title  '  good '  as  it  was  thus  easily  applied  to  him, 
pointing  the  speaker  to  goodness  as  seen  in  God,  and  bringing 
him  to  the  test  of  the  Divine  law. 

19.  Thou  kiiowest  the  commandments.    As  he  is  referred. 


ST.  MARK   10.  20,  21  247 

commandments,  Do  not  kill,  Do  not  commit  adultery, 
Do  not  steal,  Do  not  bear  false  witness,  Do  not  defraud, 
Honour  thy  father  and  mother.     And  he  said  unto  him,  20 
Master,  all  these  things  have  I  observed  from  my  youth. 
And  Jesus  looking  upon  him  loved  him,  and  said  unto  21 
him,  One  thing  thou  lackest :   go,  sell  whatsoever  thou 

with  a  view  to  a  worthier  conception  of  goodness,  to  God  in  whom 
alone  it  exists  in  its  perfection,  so  he  is  referred  further  to  the 
commandments,  in  which,  and  most  especially  according  to  the 
ideas  of  a  Jew,  the  mind  of  God  is  seen.  The  order  in  which 
the  commandments  are  cited,  according  to  Mark  and  Luke,  is 
this — the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  tenth,  fifth  ;  according  to 
Matthew,  it  is  the  seventh,  sixth,  eighth,  ninth,  fifth.  The 
question  is  what  is  meant  by  the  one  in  the  series  which  is 
expressed  as  '  do  not  defraud,'  that  is,  '  do  not  take  from  others 
what  is  theirs.1  It  may  sum  up  the  four  precepts  mentioned 
before  it,  as  some  suppose  ;  but  it  is  rather  a  form  of  the  ninth 
commandment.  Some  think  it  is  a  free  quotation  from  Exod. 
xxi.  10  ;  Deut.  xxiv.  14.  The  mention  of  the  commandments  would 
come  as  a  welcome  surprise  to  the  young  man.  He  had  thought 
probably  that  something  more  was  needed  than  that  observance  of 
the  Law  which  he  had  studied,  and  which  he  could  say  he  had 
fulfilled  in  his  own  literal  and  formal  way. 

20.  all  these  thing's  have  I  observed  from  my  youth.  Jesus 
recites  only  the  commandments  dealing  with  our  relations  to  our 
fellow  men.  Our  fulfilment  of  the  open  and  unmistakable  duties 
to  which  these  have  regard  is  the  test  of  the  sincerity  and  reality 
of  our  observance  of  those  duties  toward  God  which  lie  more 
within  the  cover  of  our  own  hearts  and  are  open  to  mistake  by 
ourselves  as  well  as  by  others.  In  naming  those  precepts  of  the 
second  table  Jesus  takes  the  suitable  way  of  approach  to  a  mind 
which,  while  open  and  honest,  does  not  rise  beyond  the  external 
aspects  of  things. 

21.  looking-  upon  him  loved  him.  Compare  the  look  turned 
on  Simon  (John  i.  42),  and  on  Peter  in  his  denial  (Luke  xxii.  61). 
These  particulars  are  recorded  only  by  Mark,  but  they  go  to  the 
heart  of  the  matter.  Jesus,  turning  his  searching  look  on  the 
young  man,  saw  in  his  frank  and  earnest  face  the  witness  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  an  honest  and  anxious,  though  mistaken,  inquirer 
after  life,  and  he  regarded  him  with  affectionate,  yearning  interest 
as  he  brought  him  to  the  further  test.  Great  Rabbis,  we  are  told, 
were  in  the       Lit  of  kissing  the  heads  of  pupils  of  brilliant  parts. 

One  thl   g  thou   lackest.     The   young   man  had    not   got 
beyond  the      'Unary  Jewish  ideas  of  an  external,  circumstantial 


248  ST.  MARK   10.  22-24 

hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure 

22  in  heaven:  and  come,  follow  me.  But  his  countenance 
fell  at  the  saying,  and  he  went  away  sorrowful :  for  he 
was  one  that  had  great  possessions. 

23  And  Jesus  looked  round  about,  and  saith  unto  his 
disciples,  How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter 

24  into  the  kingdom  of  God !  And  the  disciples  were 
amazed  at  his  words.     But  Jesus  answereth  again,  and 

observance  of  the  Law.  The  requirement  now  made  of  him 
brought  him  face  to  face  with  the  question  of  self-denial,  and  so 
with  the  inwardness  of  the  Law,  the  deeper  meaning  of  '  eternal 
life'  and  the  'good,'  and  what  it  cost  to  win  the  former  and 
achieve  the  latter. 

follow  me :  this  is  the  final  test,  and  one  that  would  make 
him  know  himself  better. 

22.  his  countenance  fell.  The  word  rendered  '  fell '  is  one 
that  means  '  clouded  over.'  It  is  used  of  the  lowering  sky  (Matt. 
xvi.  3).  It  expresses  the  darkening  or  saddening  of  the  face  under 
the  influence  of  gloomy  thoughts,  and  in  particular  under  the 
sense  of  grief  or  sudden  disappointment.  ■# 

went  away  sorrowful.  He  had  thought  of  securing  eternal 
life  by  doing,  and  had  thought  less  of  being.  He  discovered  that 
there  was  a  doing  that  was  far  beyond  him,  a  fulfilment  of  the 
Law  that  meant  inward  conditions  of  the  spirit,  not  outward 
conditions  of  the  letter,  and  had  its  evidence  in  readiness  to  give 
up  what  was  dear.  His  easy  notions  of  righteousness  and 
goodness,  of  eternal  life,  and  the  keeping  of  the  commandments, 
were  dissipated,  his  hopes  were  shattered,  and  he  turned  away 
not  angry,  but  grieved  and  disappointed.  He  was  unable  then  to 
pay  the  price  of  true  discipleship,  and  of  his  future  course  nothing 
is  told  us.  We  are  left  to  surmise  that  one  whom  Jesus  loved 
while  he  tested  him  may  have  afterwards  entered  the  Kingdom. 

x.  23-27.  Discourse  on  Riches  and  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Cf. 
Matt.  xix.  23-26  ;  Luke  xviii.  24-27. 

23.  looked  round  about.  This  is  noticed  only  by  Mark.  The 
look  which  had  been  turned  lovingl37and  searchingly  on  the  young 
man  is  now  cast  round  about  the  circle  of  the  Twelve.     Cf.  iii.  5. 

riches.  The  word  used  here  is  one  of  wider  scope  than  that 
used  in  verse  22,  and  includes  all  kinds  of  possessions,  in  money- 
goods,  or  anything  else. 

24.  amazed.  This,  too,  is  given  only  by  Mark.  t  is  a  strong 
term  expressing  the  consternation  into  which  these  1  ;>rds  of  Jesus 
threw  even  his  most  select  followers.     The  rich  !     *  /ere  not  they 


ST.  MARK   10.  25-27  249 

saith  unto  them,  Children,  how  hard  is  it  for  them  that 
trust  in  riches  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  !     It  is  25 
easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye,  than  for 
a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.      And  26 
they  were  astonished  exceedingly,  saying  unto  him,  Then 
who  can  be  saved  ?    Jesus  looking  upon  them  saith,  With  2  7 

the  privileged  ?  How  different  this  Kingdom  must  be  from  what 
they  anticipated — a  Kingdom  open  to  men  who  were  like  little 
children,  and  not  to  the  great  and  wealthy  ! 

Jesus  answereth  again.  He  repeats  his  staggering  declara- 
tion, notwithstanding  their  amazement.  But  in  doing  so  he 
qualifies  its  hardness  somewhat  both  by  the  terms  of  his  address 
and  by  a  distinction  which  he  now  makes.  '  Children,'  he  says,  an 
affectionate  and  considerate  designation,  used  with  direct  refer- 
ence to  the  Twelve  only  in  this  passage,  and  indicating  his 
sympathy  with  them  and  his  regard  for  them  in  their  present 
perplexity.  So  in  the  solemn  words  uttered  later,  when  the 
traitor  had  gone  out,  he  addresses  them  as  '  little  children ' 
(John  xiii.  33).  And  instead  of  the  hardness  of  an  entrance 
into  the  Kingdom  of  God  for  those  who  l  have  riches/  he  now 
speaks  of  the  hardness  besetting  those  who  '  trust  in  riches.'  So 
far  the  saying  is  softened  and  simplified.  Yet  in  the  next  breath 
he  gives  it  again  in  the  most  absolute  form. 

25.  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye.  A  strong 
hyperbolical  expression,  which  is  to  be  taken  precisely  as  it  is. 
Some  have  thought  it  necessary  to  reduce  its  seeming  exaggeration 
by  turning  the  camel  into  a  cable  (these  two  words  being  some- 
what similar  in  the  Greek),  or  by  taking  the  needle's  eye  to  be  the 
name  of  a  small  side-gate  near  the  great  gate  at  Jerusalem.  This 
is  wholly  to  miss  the  point  of  the  statement.  The  Jewish  Rabbis 
were  accustomed  to  use  such  extreme,  paradoxical  comparisons. 
This  one  is  meant  to  express  in  the  strongest  possible  form  the 
incongruity  of  placing  wealth  or  position  on  the  same  plane  with 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  the  utter  impossibility  of  having  riches 
accepted  as  a  qualification  for  that  Kingdom,  and  the  difficulty 
which  the  rich  have  beyond  others  in  entering  it. 

26.  astonished  exceedingly.  Their  amazement  is  intensified 
by  these  further  words  of  Jesus,  which  seem  to  raise  the  difficulty 
of  an  entrance  into  the  Kingdom,  even  in  the  case  of  the  privileged, 
to  the  height  of  impossibility.  They  were  quite  beside  themselves 
with  astonishment.  No  doubt  their  old  Jewish  ideas  clung  to 
them,  which  connected  prosperity  with  righteousness,  and  made 
it  natural  for  them  to  think  of  those  who  manifestly  were  favoured 
by  God  in  outward  things  as  meant  by  Him  to  have  His  Kingdom. 


250  ST.  MARK   10.  28,  29 

men  it  is  impossible,  but  not  with  God :   for  all  things 

28  are  possible  with  God.     Peter  began  to  say  unto  him,  Lo, 

29  we  have  left  all,  and  have  followed  thee.  Jesus  said, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left 
house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  mother,  or  father,  or 

27.  all  thing's  are  possible  with.  God.  Jesus  accepts  the 
construction  put  upon  his  words  by  the  disciples  in  their  conster- 
nation, but  at  the  same  time  provides  the  needed  relief.  Impossible 
it  indeed  is  to  establish  a  claim  to  the  Kingdom  of  God.  But  the 
impossibility  is  only  on  man's  side.  With  God  it  is  otherwise. 
He  can  make  the  impossible  actual,  and  accomplish  by  grace  what 
rank  or  privilege  or  human  effort  cannot  effect.  In  the  Divine 
power  which  He  gives  in  lieu  of  human  incapacity  is  the  ground 
of  man's  hope  of  a  place  in  the  Kingdom. 

x.  28-31.  The  Reward  of  Disciples  hip.  Cf.  Matt.  xix.  27-30  ; 
Luke  xviii.  28-30. 

28.  Peter  began  to  say  unto  him.  All  three  Synoptists 
agree  in  naming  Peter  as  the  spokesman  here.  He  breaks  in  and 
utters,  as  was  his  wont,  what  was  in  his  mind.  But  our  Lord's 
reply  shews  that  the  rest  of  the  Twelve  had  the  same  thoughts. 

we  have  left  all.  The  emphasis  is  on  the  '  we  ' — '  we  your 
Apostles  here.'  Peter's  interruption  was  suggested  no  doubt  by 
the  case  of  the  rich  young  man.  '  We  at  least  have  done,'  he 
meant  to  say,  '  what  the  ruler  has  not  done.  And  what  is  to 
come  to  us  for  so  doing  V  It  is  only  Matthew  who  records  the 
blunt  claim  for  tangible  reward — '  what  then  shall  we  have  ? ' 

29.  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  The  reply  of  Jesus  is  directed 
not  to  Peter  in  particular,  but  to  all  the  Twelve.  Matthew  gives 
it  more  fully  than  Mark  or  Luke.  These  two  record  only  what 
applies  to  all  followers  of  the  Lord.  Matthew  reports  first  what 
was  meant  specially  for  the  Twelve  themselves — the  promise  of 
a  share  in  the  prerogative  of  judgement  in  '  the  regeneration ' 
when  '  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory.' 

left  house,  or  brethren.  The  instances  of  renunciation  men- 
tioned by  Jesus  are  suggested  by  the  case  immediately  before 
him.  These  Apostles  for  whom  Peter  spoke  had  indeed  left 
home,  and  relations  (as  was  done,  e.  g.  by  James  and  John),  and 
possessions  (some  leaving  their  boats  and  nets,  others,  e.  g.  Levi, 
their  occupations  of  a  different  kind  which  brought  income  with 
them).  Luke  omits  the  'lands.'  and  inserts  'wife.'  At  this  time 
(though  not  for  ever,  as  we  see  from  1  Cor.  ix.  5)  Peter  had 
also  made  this  last  sacrifice.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that  nothing  is 
yet  said  of  giving  up  life. 


ST.  MARK   10.  30,  31  251 

children,  or  lands  for  my  sake,  and  for  the  gospel's  sake, 
but  he  shall   't-ceive  a  hundredfold  now  in  this  time,  30 
houses,  and   brethren,   and   sisters,    and   mothers,   and 
children,  and  lands,  with  persecutions ;  and  in  the  world 
to  come  eternal  life.     But  many  that  are  first  shall  be  31 
last ;    and  the  last  first. 


30.  lie  shall  receive  a  hundredfold.  So  also  in  Matthew, 
but  in  Luke  it  is  '  manifold  more.'  In  its  terms  this  promise 
resembles  the  descriptions  of  the  blessings  of  the  Messianic 
kingdom  which  were  familiar  to  the  Jews  of  our  Lord's  time,  and 
are  found  in  their  non-canonical  literature.  It  is  expressed  as  if 
the  reward  was  to  be  given  in  kind — houses  for  houses,  relations  for 
relations,  possessions  for  possessions,  but  in  more  liberal  measure. 
It  is  expressed  at  the  same  time  in  terms  so  large  as  at  once  to 
suggest  something  beyond  that — a  return  in  kind  and  yet  different, 
inward  good  for  outward,  spiritual  relationships  and  possessions 
for  natural  connexions  and  material  substance,  rewards,  in  short,  in 
the  form  of  the  blessings  belonging  to  the  new  Messianic  kingdom. 

now  in  this  time.  He  who  gives  up  other  things  in  order  to 
follow  Christ  has  his  reward  even  here  and  now — a  present  reward 
which  brings  a  gain  not  to  be  put  in  comparison  with  what  is 
surrendered  ;  though  it  is  qualified  now  by  '  persecutions'  as  Mark, 
and  only  he,  is  careful  to  add. 

and  in  the  world  to  come.  That  is,  in  the  age  that  follows 
Christ's  Second  Advent,  the  new  condition  of  things  which  is  to 
be  inaugurated  \>y  that  decisive  event  and  in  which  the  kingdom 
is  to  have  its  consummation.  In  that  age  there  is  a  further  reward 
for  the  follower  of  Jesus,  and  one  no  more  qualified  by  *  persecu- 
tions.' That  final  reward  is  'eternal  life' — a  phrase  conveying  the 
Israelite's  hope  from  the  time  of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  onwards, 
and  into  which  Jesus  infused  a  higher  and  more  spiritual  meaning. 

31.  first  shall  he  last.  This  closing  declaration  is  omitted 
by  Luke  on  the  present  occasion.  He  gives  it.  however,  in  his 
account  of  our  Lord's  reply  to  the  question — 'Are  there  few  that 
be  saved  ? '  (xiii.  30}.  Matthew  gives  it  again  in  his  report  of 
the  parable  of  the  Labourers  in  the  Vineyard  (xx.  16),  which  he 
introduces  immediately  after  the  present  incident.  That  parable 
and  the  declaration  on  the  subject  of  the  '  first '  and  the  '  last ' 
convey  the  lessons  that  the  rewards  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah 
and  of  Christian  discipleship  are  not  given  on  the  ground  of  priority 
in  time,  or  calculable  service,  or  man's  ideas  of  merit,  but  on  the 
ground  of  inward  conditions,  and  the  wise  and  just  counsel  of 
God  to  whom  all  hearts  are  open. 


252  ST.  MARK   10.  32,  33 

32  And  they  were  in  the  way,  going  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  and 
Jesus  was  going  before  them :  and  they  were  amazed ; 
and  they  that  followed  were  afraid.  And  he  took  again 
the  twelve,  and  began  to  tell  them  the  things  that  were 

•V>  to  happen  unto  him,  saying,  Behold,  wc  go  up  to  Jeru- 
salem ;  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  delivered  unto  the 

x.  32-34.  Further  announcement  of  the.  Passion  and  the  Resur- 
rection. Cf.  Matt.  xx.  17-19;  Luke  xviii.  31-34.  Mark's  narrative 
is  peculiarly  vivid  and  impressive  here.  It  deals  with  this  occasion 
as  one  of  critical  moment,  and  enables  us  to  realize,  as  the  other 
Gospels  do  not  do  in  like  measure,  the  bearing  of  the  Master  and 
the  feelings  of  the  disciples. 

32.  they  were  in  the  way.  It  was  when  he  'was  going  forth 
into  the  way'  that  Jesus  was  arrested  by  the  ruler's  question. 
With  the  Twelve  he  is  now  l  in  the  way,'  his  journey  being- 
resumed  and  his  course  directed  to  Jerusalem.  The  '  way '  no 
doubt  was  the  open  highway  that  was  followed  by  the  usual 
bands  of  pilgrims  at  the  stated  seasons  of  ascent  to  the  Holy  City. 

going1  up.  Jerusalem  was  so  placed  that  to  reach  it  from 
any  point  meant  literally  a  '  going  up.' 

going*  before  them.  Only  Mark  notices  this,  and  he  evidently 
attaches  exceptional  significance  to  it.  Jesus  parted  for  a  time 
from  the  immediate  companionship  of  the  Twelve,  and  contrary 
to  his  habit  moved  on  before  them. 

they  were  amazed.  The  action  was  unusual.  But  there 
was  not  enough  in  that  to  account  for  this  amazement.  There 
must  have  been  something  in  the  way  in  which  Jesus  went  before 
them,  in  the  solemn  deliberateness  of  his  action,  the  resolved 
attitude  he  assumed,  the  impression  of  brooding  thoughts  conveyed 
by  his  demeanour,  that  awed  the  Twelve  with  the  sense  of  the 
fatefulness  of  this  movement  towards  Jerusalem.    Cf.  Luke  ix.  51. 

they  that  followed  were  afraid.  Others  also  who  were  in 
the  company,  the  people  who  were  accustomed  to  keep  by  him, 
were  affected  as  the  Twelve  themselves  were.  Forebodings  of 
evil  smote  them  and  filled  them  with  vague  terrors. 

took  again  the  twelve.  This  is  noticed  by  each  of  the  three 
Synoptists.  Matthew  states  explicitly  that  Jesus  took  them  apart. 
Seeing  how  the  Twelve  were  moved  by  the  change  in  him  he 
joins  them  again,  and  takes  them  by  themselves  in  order  to  explain 
his  action  and  declare  to  them  what  was  in  his  mind. 

33.  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  delivered.  This  is  the  third 
announcement  of  his  Passion  that  he  makes  to  the  unwilling  ears 
of  the  Twelve,  and  it  is  remarkable  for  its  distinct  and  circum- 
stantial character.      It   makes  mention   of  the   betrayal   into  the 


ST.  MARK   10.  34,35  253 

chief  priests  and  the  scribes ;  and  they  shall  condemn 
him  to  death,  and  shall  deliver  him  unto  the  Gentiles : 
and  they  shall  mock  him,  and  shall  spit  upon  him,  and  34 
shall  scourge  him,  and  shall  kill  him ;  and  after  three 
days  he  shall  rise  again. 

And  there  come  near  unto  him  James  and  John,  the  35 
sons  of  Zebedee,  saying  unto  him,  Master,  we  would  that 

hands  of  the  Jewish  authorities,  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin 
or  Council,  who  dealt  with  cases  coming  under  the  Jewish  law ; 
the  condemnation  by  that  court ;  the  subsequent  delivery  to  the 
Gentiles,  that  is,  to  the  Roman  authorities,  who  reserved  to  them- 
selves the  right  of  ordering  the  penalty  of  death  ;  and  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  sentence  and  the  punishment — the  mockery, 
the  contumelious  spitting,  the  scourging  (which  always  accom- 
panied crucifixion;,  and  the  death  itself.  The  betrayal  to  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  is  noticed  by  Matthew  and  Mark  ;  the 
delivery  to  the  Gentiles,  which  was  not  referred  to  in  the  former 
announcements,  the  mocking,  and  the  scourging,  are  recorded 
by  all  three  ;  the  spitting  is  mentioned  only  by  Mark  and  Luke. 
Matthew  alone  specifies  crucifixion  as  the  mode  of  death.  All 
three  give  the  intimation  of  the  Resurrection.  Luke  introduces 
a  reference  to  O.  T.  prophecy — '  All  the  things  that  are  written 
by  the  prophets  shall  be  accomplished  unto  the  Son  of  man.' 
From  Luke  we  also  gather  that,  notwithstanding  its  definiteness 
and  the  remarkable  circumstances  in  which  it  was  spoken,  this 
third  prediction  of  the  Passion  and  Resurrection  of  their  Master 
was  as  little  understood  by  the  Twelve  as  were  the  former  two. 
The  '  saj'ing  was  hid  from  them,  and  they  perceived  not  the 
things  that  were  said'  (xviii.  34). 

x.  35-45.  The  Ambitious  Request  of  the  Sons  of  Zebedee.  Cf. 
Matt.  xx.  20-28.  This  incident  is  omitted  by  Luke,  who  gives, 
however,  in  a  later  chapter,  the  story  of  the  contention  among  the 
disciples  as  to  who  should  be  greatest  (xxii.  25-28).  There  is  this 
difference  also  between  the  narratives  of  Matthew  and  Mark 
here,  that  in  the  former  the  petitioner  is  the  mother  (whom  we 
know  to  be  Salome  by  comparing  Mark  xv.  40  with  Matt,  xxvii. 
56),  while  in  the  latter  the  sons  themselves  make  the  request. 
The  mother's  solicitude  for  the  honour  of  her  sons  made  her  the 
first  speaker.  The  application  probably  was  her  thought,  but 
the  sons  joined  in  it  and  expressed  their  own  sense  of  what  they 
considered  themselves  entitled  to  look  for. 

35.  the  sons  of  Zebedee.  The  only  occasion  on  which  Zebedee 
is  brought  very  directly  before  us  in  the  Gospels  is  when  his  sons 


254  ST.  MARK   10.  36-38 

thou  shouldest  do  for  us  whatsoever  we  shall  ask  of  thee. 

36  And  he  said  unto  them,  What  would  ye  that  I  should  do 

37  for  you  ?     And  they  said  unto  him,  Grant  unto  us  that 
we  may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  one  on  thy  left 

38  hand,  in  thy  glory.     But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Ye  know 

were  called  by  Jesus.  Thereafter  the  Gospels;  are  silent  regarding 
him,  or  refer  to  him  only  as  here.  It  is  possible  that  he  may  not 
have  lived  long  after  James  and  John  left  him  to  become  followers 
of  Jesus.  It  has  been  suggested  that,  unlike  Salome,  he  had 
taken  no  interest  in  the  claims  and  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  and 
for  that  reason  is  little  noticed  in  the  Gospels.  Where  all  is 
matter  of  conjecture,  it  is  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  like 
his  sons,  he  had  been  a  disciple  of  the  Baptist  and  had  recognized 
Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  The  fact  that  nothing  is  said  as  to  his 
opposing  the  departure  of  James  and  John  when  they  were  called 
so  far  favours  this  supposition.  But  all  is  left  uncertain  by  the 
Gospels  themselves. 

we  would  that  thou  shouldest  do  for  us  whatsoever  we 
shall  ask  of  thee.  A  large,  bold,  inconsiderate  demand,  that 
comes  so  strangely  after  Jesus  has  spoken  of  scourging  and  death 
as  his  own  lot,  and  betrays  how  little  the  Twelve,  and  even  the 
select  three,  yet  understood  what  it  meant  to  be  followers  of 
Jesus,  or  what  his  kingdom  was. 

36.  What  would  ye  that  I  should  do  for  you?  He  will  have 
them  first  state  distinctly  what  is  in  their  hearts  before  he  will 
commit  himself  to  their  large  request. 

3*7.  Grant  unto  us  that  we  may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand, 
and  one  on  thy  left  hand,  in  thy  glory.  They  think  only  of 
grandeur  and  glory  as  associated  with  his  kingdom,  and  will  have 
the  places  of  highest  honour  in  it,  the  'right  hand'  of  the  host  or 
the  monarch  being  the  position  reserved  for  the  most  distinguished 
guest  or  dignitary,  and  the  'left  hand'  the  position  next  in 
honour  ;  cf.  2  Sam.  xvi.  6  ;  1  Kings  ii.  19  ;  Acts  vii.  55,  56  ; 
Rom.  viii.  34.  The  presenting  of  such  a  request  may  have  been 
suggested  by  the  words  of  Jesus  on  the  subject  of  reward — the 
hundredfold  that  was  to  be  received  now  by  any  one  who  had 
left  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  mother,  or  father,  or  children, 
or  lands,  for  his  sake  and  the  gospel's  (x.  30). 

38.  Jesus  said  unto  them.  In  Matthew's  Gospel  the  petitioner 
is  the  mother.  If  there  were  four  women  at  the  cross,  and  if 
Salome,  the  mother  of  James  and  John,  is  the  person  meant  by 
'  his  mother's  sister '  in  John's  narrative  of  the  crucifixion  (xix. 
25),  she  was  connected  by  ties  of  blood  with  Jesus,  and  may  have 
found  in   that  her  encouragement  to  take  her  sons  with  her  to 


ST  MARK    10.  39,40  255 

not  what  ye  ask.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  the  cup  that 
I  drink  ?  or  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am 
baptized  with  ?  And  they  said  unto  him,  We  are  able.  39 
And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  The  cup  that  I  drink  ye  shall 
drink ;  and  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  withal 
shall  ye  be  baptized :  but  to  sit  on  my  right  hand  or  on  40 
my  left  hand  is  not  mine  to  give  :  but  it  is  for  them  for 

him  and  make  her  application  in  their  interest.  But  even  in 
Matthew's  Gospel  it  is  to  the  sons  themselves,  not  simply  to 
the  mother  who  spoke  for  them,  that  Jesus  addresses  his  reply. 

Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask  :  the  reply  touched  first  their  lack 
of  understanding. 

Are  ye  able  to  drink  the  cnp  that  I  drink  ?  It  then  brought 
them  to  the  question  of  their  capacity  for  fellowship  with  him  in 
suffering.  The  term  '  cup '  is  a  frequent  figure  both  in  the  O.  T. 
and  in  the  N.  T.,  and  is  used  in  different  applications.  It  occurs 
as  a  figure  of  speech  :  (1)  for  the  happy  lot  or  experience  of  the 
godly,  the  idea  being  that  that  comes  from  God  as  the  wine-cup 
at  table  comes  from  the  host  (e.  g.  Ps.  xvi.  5,  xxiii.  5,  Ixxiii.  10)  ; 
(2)  for  the  unhappy  lot  of  the  wicked  (e.  g.  Ps.  xi.  6) ;  (3)  for  the 
Divine  wrath  (e.  g.  Jer.  xxv.  15  ;  Ezek.  xxiii.  32-34  ;  Isa.  li.  17  ; 
Zech.  xii.  2  ;  Rev.  xiv.  10) ;  ^4)  for  the  experience  of  salvation, 
the  reference  being  to  the  wine  of  the  thank-offering  (Ps.  cxvi. 
13)  ;  (5)  for  consolation,  the  wine  offered  for  refreshment  to  the 
mourner  probably  being  in  view  (Jer.  xvi.  7). 

or  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism.  Another  figure  for 
suffering,  overwhelming  suffering  in  which  one  is  immersed  or 
submerged.  Jesus  uses  it  again  of  his  sufferings  when  he  speaks 
of  being  come  to  '  cast  fire  upon  the  earth  '  (Luke  xii.  49).  It  is 
akin  to  one  of  the  most  frequent  figures  of  the  O.  T.,  especially 
of  the  Book  of  Psalms— that  which  speaks  of  one  who  is  in  dire 
peril  or  affliction  as  being  in  deep  waters  (Ps.  xviii.  16,  xlii.  7, 
lxix.  1,  cxxiv.  4,  cxxx.  i). 

39.  We  are  able.  Their  answer  betrayed  again  their  lack  of 
discernment.  They  were  capable  of  much.  They  could  be  loyal 
and  they  could  be  courageous.  But  as  yet  their  ideas  of  things 
were  so  unspiritual  and  confused  that  they  did  not  even  under- 
stand the  capacity  he  had  in  view,  much  less  did  they  possess  it. 
But  they  were  to  learn  it  by  the  surest  of  all  teachers — sharp 
experience. 

40.  is  not  mine  to  give.  There  was  a  difference  between 
drinking  of  the  cup  and  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Great 
King.     Fellowship  with  Jesus  in  the  former  they  were  to  have,. 


256  ST.  MARK   10.  41,42 

41  whom  it  hath  been  prepared.     And  when  the  ten  heard 

it,  they  began  to  be  moved  with  indignation  concerning 

4«j  James  and  John.     And  Jesus  called  them  to  him,  and 


and  it  needed  not  to  be  given  them.  It  would  come  of  itself  in 
their  conflict  with  an  evil  world.  But  fellowship  with  him  in 
glory  demanded  conditions  of  which  they  had  no  understanding, 
and  was  not  a  thing  to  be  given  by  disposition  simply,  not  even 
at  the  bidding  of  the  Son  of  man.  Throughout  the  N.  T.  Jesus 
is  declared  by  himself,  as  well  as  by  his  Apostles,  to  be  the  final 
Arbiter  who  is  to  give  to  every  man  his  due  ^Matt.  xxv.  31-46 ; 
2  Tim.  iv.  8 ;  Rev.  xxii.  12).  But  in  this  he  acts  not  arbitrarily 
or  without  regard  to  the  Father's  will.  It  is  the  Father  who  has 
committed  to  him  the  power  of  judgement,  and  it  is  the  Father's 
will  that  he  fulfils  in  that  as  in  everything  else  (John  v.  22,  27). 

for  whom  it  hath  "been  prepared.  That  is,  by  God.  In 
Matthew  it  is  expressly  put  so — '  for  whom  it  hath  been  prepared 
of  my  Father'  (xx.  23).  Here  our  Lord  brings  us  within  sight 
of  the  great  principle  of  a  Divine  election  or  predestination,  which 
is  expressed  at  length  in  the  Epistles  to  the  Romans  (viii.  33- 
39,  ix.  6-33)  and  Ephesians  (i.  4-12),  in  1  Peter  (i.  2),  and  else- 
where. As  Christ's  word  here  indicates,  this  'preparation  '  and  the 
choice  or  determination  which  it  implies  are  no  arbitrary  decisions, 
but  the  wise  and  gracious  dispositions  of  the  Father.  And  they 
for  whom  the  things  here  in  view  are  prepared  are  them- 
selves also  prepared  for  them.  For  the  use  of  the  term  in  its 
various  applications  see  such  passages  as  Matt.  xxv.  34,  41  ;  Luke 
ii.  31  ;  Rom.  ix.  23  ;  1  Cor.  ii.  9  ;  Eph.  h.  10  ;  2  Tim.  ii.  21  ;  Heb. 
xi.  16. 

41.  when  the  ten  heard  it.  The  '  ten,'  it  is  to  be  observed, 
not  the  '  nine.'  In  this  matter  Peter  went  not  with  his  comrades 
in  the  select  band  of  the  three,  but  with  the  other  members  of 
the  Apostolate.  Whether  the  ten  knew  of  the  selfish  and 
exclusive  request  of  James  and  John  by  hearing  it  as  it  was  made, 
or  by  having  it  reported  to  them,  is  not  told.  In  any  case  when 
it  came  to  their  knowledge  their  indignation  was  kindled,  and 
with  it  doubtless  those  evil  feelings  of  jealousy  and  self-assertion 

I  which  Jesus  had  already  had  to  check  and  correct  (ix.  33-37). 

42.  called  them  to  him.  He  had  again  to  deal  with  the 
whole  company  of  the  Apostles,  and  not  merely  with  two 
individuals.  He  does  so  deliberately  and  pointedly,  summoning 
them  to  him  for  the  purpose.  Bent  on  putting  them  right  he 
takes  the  wise  and  considerate  way  of  calling  their  attention  to 
the  broad  principles  at  issue,  and  makes  no  reference  to  the  fault 
of  James  and  John. 


ST.  MARK  10.  43-45  257 

saith  unto  them,  Ye  know  that  they  which  are  accounted 
to  rule  over  the  Gentiles  lord  it  over  them  j  and  their 
great  ones  exercise  authority  over  them.     But  it  is  not  so  43 
among  you  :  but  whosoever  would  become  great  among 
you,  shall  be  your  minister :  and  whosoever  would  be  44 
first  among  you,  shall  be  servant  of  all.     For  verily  the  45 
Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many. 

43.  it  is  not  so  among  yon.  If  they  were  to  be  in  his 
kingdom,  their  ideas  must  be  different  from  those  that  prevailed 
in  heathen  society  and  characterized  heathen  ways  of  life.  Among 
the  Gentiles  it  was  the  accepted  order  of  things  that  those  in 
power  should  rule  according  to  their  will,  and  dispense  their  good 
things  and  their  evil  things  arbitrarily.  But  in  him  they  had  a 
Master  of  another  kind,  and  in  his  kingdom  a  society  of  a  radically 
different  order — a  society  to  which  ambition,  and  honours  arbitrarily 
bestowed,  dignities  won  by  competition  and  self-assertion,  were 
entirely  strange,  and  in  which  only  one  pre-eminence  was  known 
— that  of  humility  and  service. 

45.  For  verily  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto 
(or,  served),  "but  to  minister  (or,  serve).  That  greatness  in  his 
kingdom  was  so  unlike  what  it  was  in  the  Gentile  world,  and 
that  the  thoughts  of  his  disciples  must  be  so  essentially  different 
from  those  of  others,  is  made  clearer  and  more  certain  by  an  appeal 
to  his  own  example,  and  to  that  as  the  highest  possible  enforce- 
ment. The  Son  of  man  himself,  who  was  of  men  and  yet  more 
than  they,  had  come  for  a  great  purpose.  But  that  was  to  serve, 
not  to  be  served. 

and  to  give  his  life.  Not  only  to  serve,  but  to  do  so  to  the 
last  degree  of  self-sacrifice. 

a  ransom.  The  word  expresses  deliverance  by  paying  a 
price,  or  the  price  paid  for  deliverance.  It  is  used,  e.g.  for  the 
price  paid  for  the  redemption  of  a  slave  (Lev.  xix.  20)  or  a  captive 
(Isa.  xliv.  13) ;  the  ransom  paid  for  a  life  (Exod.  xxi.  30,  xxx.  12  ; 
Num.  xxxv.  31).  The  word  occurs  frequently  in  the  O.  T.  In 
the  N.  T.  this  is  the  only  instance  of  it  in  this  particular  form. 
But  we  find  it  again  in  a  compound  form  in  1  Tim.  ii.  6,  where 
also  it  is  applied  to  Christ  himself  as  the  sacrifice. 

for  many.  One  life  for  the  lives  of  many,  and  '  for '  them  in 
the  sense  of  '  instead  of  them.'  The  preposition  used  by  our  Lord 
is  one  that  in  its  most  proper  sense  conveys  the  idea  of  exchange 
or  substitution.  It  means  '  in  place  of,'  and  occurs  in  such  sentences 
as  these— 'an  eye  for  an  eye/  i  a  tooth  for  a  tooth  '  (Matt.  v.  38) ; 


258  ST.  MARK   10.  46 

46      And  they  come  to  Jericho :  and  as  he  went  out  from 

i  for  a  fish  ...  a  serpent '  ( Luke  xi.  1 1)  ;  <  Archelaus  was  reigning 
over  Judaea  in  the  room  of  his  father  Herod'  (Matt.  ii.  22); 
'  render  to  no  man  evil  for  evil '  (Rom.  xii.  I7)  ;  '  Esau,  who  for  one 
mess  of  meat  sold  his  own  birthright'  (Heb.  xii.  16).  The  life 
that  is  spoken  of  here,  therefore,  is  a  life  which  it  was  Christ's 
to  give,  and  he  was  to  give  it,  he  tells  us,  in  the  character  of 
a  ransom  for  the  lives  of  many — a  ransom,  further,  which  was  to 
take  the  place  of  or  to  be  given  instead  of  those  others.  The 
word  '  for,'  following  on  the  word  '  ransom '  here,  '  can  only  be 
understood,'  says  Meyer,  '  in  the  sense  of  substitution  in  the  act 
of  which  the  ransom  is  presented  as  an  equivalent  to  secure  the 
deliverance  of  those  on  whose  behalf  it  is  paid — a  view  which  is  only 
confirmed  by  the  fact  that  in  other  parts  of  the  N.  T.  this  ransom 
is  usually  spoken  of  as  an  expiatory  sacrifice,  Matt.  xxvi.  28  ;  John 
i.  29;  1  John  iv.  10;  Rom.  iii.  25  ;  Isa.  liii.  10;  1  Pet.  i.  18 ff.,  iii.  18.' 
This  great  declaration  was  made  incidentally,  not  for  doctrinal 
or  dogmatic  purposes,  but  with  a  purely  practical  object — the 
checking  of  unworthy,  selfish  feeling  in  the  disciples  and  the  illus- 
tration of  what  greatness  is  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  Yet  it  is 
impossible  to  over-estimate  its  importance  or  to  fathom  all  that  it 
means  with  regard  to  the  nature  and  scope  of  Christ's  mission.  It 
is  one  of  the  select  number  of  sayings  which  give  us  an  insight 
into  his  own  view  of  his  life  and  death.  It  is  fundamental  to  any 
just  conception  of  the  purpose  and  the  efficacy  of  his  death.  It 
contains  the  principles  of  that  doctrine  of  sacrifice  and  atone- 
ment which  is  taught  in  the  Epistles  of  the  N.  T.,  and  which  has 
been  stated  and  developed  in  the  Creeds  of  the  Church. 

x.  46-52.  The  Restoration  of  blind  Bartimmts.  Cf.  Matt.  xx. 
29-34  ;  Luke  xviii.  35-43.  In  connexion  with  this  incident,  im- 
mediately after  it,  Luke  introduces  the  case  of  Zacchaeus,  which 
is  given  neither  by  Matthew  nor  by  Mark.  In  the  three  Synoptical 
accounts  of  this  instance  of  the  healing  of  the  blind  there  are  also 
certain  minor  differences  in  the  details  of  time,  place,  and  person. 

46.  And  they  come  to  Jericho.  It  is  not  stated  whence  they 
came.  It  may  have  been  the  '  city  called  Ephraim '  (John  xi.  54), 
the  secluded  place  about  sixteen  miles  from  Jerusalem,  to  which 
he  retired  after  the  raising  of  Lazarus  and  the  counsel  taken  by 
the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  consequent  on  that  great  work. 
'  By  publicly  entering  Jericho  he  places  himself  in  the  power  of 
the  Procurator  and  the  great  Sanhedrin  '  (Swete).  On  previous 
occasions,  in  going  up  to  Jerusalem  or  returning  from  it,  Jesus 
must  have  passed  by  or  through  this  city.  But  there  is  no  record 
of  these  approaches  or  visits.  With  the  present  occasion  it  is 
different ;  for  it  marks  an  important  stage  in  his  ministr3T.     With 


ST.  MARK   10.  46  259 

Jericho,  with  his  disciples  and  a  great  multitude,  the  son 

the  exception  of  the  reference  to  it  in  the  Parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  (Luke  x.  30ft".),  it  is  only  in  connexion  with  this  narra- 
tive that  mention  is  made  of  Jericho  in  the  Gospels.  It  is  noticed 
also  in  Heb.  xi.  30. 

and  as  he  went  out  from  Jericho.  Both  Matthew  and 
Mark  report  the  miracle  as  if  it  was  done  as  Jesus  left  the  city. 
Luke  gives  it  as  if  it  was  done  when  he  drew  near  to  the  city.  If 
Jesus  came  by  the  direct  road  from  Ephraim  he  would  'enter 
through  a  gate  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  and  in  order  to 
proceed  to  Jerusalem  he  would  cross  to  the  west  gate '  (Swete). 

The  ancient  Jericho,  the  famous  '  city  of  palm-trees '  (Deut. 
xxxiv.  3),  in  the  Jordan  valley,  over  against  Nebo  (Deut.  xxxii. 
49),  lay  some  sixty  stadia  or  '  furlongs '  west  of  the  river,  and 
about  150  from  Jerusalem.  It  is  represented  by  the  modern 
er-Riha,  a  cluster  of  wretched  hovels  containing  about  300 
inhabitants,  and  lying  some  goo  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean.  Its  glory  is  utterly  gone,  and  of  its  great  palm- 
groves  there  remains  only  a  tree  here  and  there— perhaps  a  dozen 
in  all.  The  old  Canaanitish  city  seems  to  have  occupied  a  site 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  from  er-Riha,  at  Tell-es-Sultan, 
above  Elisha's  fountain.  That  it  was  a  rich  town  in  ancient 
times  appears  from  the  story  of  Achan  (Josh.  vii.  21).  It  is 
associated  with  many  notable  passages  in  the  story  of  Israel,  e.  g. 
the  first  observance  of  the  Passover  after  the  crossing  of  the 
Jordan  (Josh.  v.  10)  ;  the  vision  of  the  captain  of  the  Lord's  host 
(Josh.  v.  13-15)  ;  the  first  stand  made  against  the  children  of 
Israel,  the  siege,  the  destruction  of  the  city,  and  the  saving  of 
Rahab  for  the  spies'  sake  (Josh,  vi)  ;  and  later,  the  translation 
of  Elijah  (2  Kings  ii.  4)  ;  the  capture  of  Zedekiah  when  he  fled 
from  Jerusalem  and  the  forces  of  Nebuchadnezzar  (2  Kings  xxv. 
5 ;  Jer.  xxxix.  5),  &c.  A  solemn  curse  was  uttered  by  Joshua 
on  the  man  who  should  rebuild  it  (Josh.  vi.  28),  which  was  fulfilled 
in  the  case  of  Hiel  the  Bethelite  in  Ahab's  time  (1  Kings  xvi.  34). 
In  our  Lord's  time  it  had  become  again  an  important  place,  enjoy- 
ing the  favour  of  the  Herodian  family.  The  fact  that  it  lay  on 
the  caravan  route  from  Damascus,  and  occupied  a  strong  military 
position,  made  it  a  place  of  great  consequence.  It  was  also  one 
of  the  chief  residences  of  priests.  After  the  capture  of  Jerusalem 
by  Pompey,  it  was  made  one  of  the  five  seats  of  assembly  by 
Gabinius  the  Roman  general  (Joseph.  Wars,  i.  viii.  5).  Herod 
the  Great  fortified  a  citadel  above  the  town,  and  built  to  the  north 
of  it  a  city  which  he  called  Phasselis  after  a  brother  (Joseph. 
Wars,  i.  xxi.  9).  In  Jericho  also  Herod  died.  The  royal  palace 
was  burnt  down  after  his  death,  but  was  splendidly  rebuilt  by 
Archelaus.     Our  Lord's  baptism  took  place  not  far  from  it,  and 

S    2 


260  ST.  MARK   10.  47-49 

of  Timaeus,  Bartimseus,  a  blind  beggar,  was  sitting  by  the 

47  way  side.  And  when  he  heard  that  it  was  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  he  began  to  cry  out,  and  say,  Jesus,  thou  son 

48  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  many  rebuked  him, 
that  he  should  hold  his  peace :  but  he  cried  out  the  more 
a  great  deal,  Thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

49  And  Jesus  stood  still,  and  said,  Call  ye  him.     And  they 

Quarantania,  the  probable  scene  of  his  temptation,  was  also  near 
it.  Josephus  speaks  in  glowing  terms  of  its  climate,  its  fountain, 
its  well-watered  and  fertile  plains,  its  gardens  full  of  trees, 
yielding  balsam  and  myrobalsamum,  its  palms  of  different  kinds, 
its  luxuriant  vegetation  (Wars,  iv.  viii.  a-3). 

with  Ms  disciples  and  a  great  multitude.  Jesus  entered 
the  ci,ty  and  left  it  now  not  as  an  unknown  visitor,  but  in  the  style 
of  a  great  Rabbi  attended  by  his  pupils,  and  followed  by  a  crowd 
of  curious  spectators  made  larger  than  usual  by  the  number  of 
pilgrims  from  many  different  quarters  who  met  here  on  their  way 
to  Jerusalem. 

the  son  of  Timaeus.  This  is  a  translation  for  the  sake  of 
Gentile  readers  of  the  Aramaic  name  Bartimceus. 

a  blind  beggar.  Two  blind  men  were  there,  according 
to  Matthew  (xx.  30).  Mark  and  Luke,  for  some  reason  left 
unexplained,  refer  only  to  one,  the  former  by  name,  the  latter 
in  general  terms.  Beggars  abounded  in  the  ancient  East,  and 
gathered  in  large  numbers  at  the  times  of  the  great  feasts  at 
the  chief  points  along  the  pilgrimage  routes.  In  many  cases 
blindness,  that  fell  and  frequent  malady  of  the  East,  added  to  the 
misery  of  utter  poverty. 

47.  when  he  heard  that  it  was  Jesus.  Luke  tells  us  that 
the  blind  man  heard  the  noise  of  the  multitude  passing  and 
inquired  what  it  meant  (xviii.  36).  Thus  he  learned  from  others 
what  he  could  not  discover  for  himself,  that  it  was  Jesus  passing 
by,  and  instantly  he  besought  his  mercy.  Perhaps  he  had  heard 
of  the  cure  of  the  blind  man  at  Jerusalem  (John  ix),  or  of  some 
similar  case  among  the  healing  deeds  of  Jesus. 

son  of  David.  A  Judaean  title  of  Messiah,  found  already 
on  the  lips  of  the  multitude  who  witnessed  the  miracle  on  the 
possessed  man  who  was  both  blind  and  dumb  (Matt.  xii.  23).  The 
present  is  its  only  occurrence  in  Mark's  Gospel,  and  in  Luke 
also  it  appears  only  in  the  narrative  of  this  miracle. 

48.  rebuked  him.  Many  would  have  had  him  silenced.  But 
he  became  only  the  more  urgent  as  the  opportunity  seemed  to 
be  slipping. 


ST.  MARK   10.  50—H.   1  261 

call  the  blind  man,  saying  unto  him,  Be  of  good  cheer : 
rise,  he  calleth  thee.     And  he,  casting  away  his  garment,  50 
sprang  up,  and  came  to  Jesus.    And  Jesus  answered  him,  51 
and  said,  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  unto  thee? 
And  the  blind  man  said  unto  him,  Rabboni,  that  I  may 
receive  my  sight.     And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Go  thy  way;  52 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.      And  straightway  he 
received  his  sight,  and  followed  him  in  the  way. 

And   when    they   draw   nigh    unto    Jerusalem,    unto  11 

49.  Jesus  stood  still.  The  piteous  appeal  could  not  be  with- 
stood. There  is  a  pause  in  the  movement  ;  the  suppliant  is 
called  by  the  command  of  Jesus,  and  the  word  of  encouragement, 
'  Be  of  good  cheer,'  is  spoken  to  him  by  those  who  knew  what 
the  Master's  call  meant. 

50.  he,  casting*  away  his  garment,  sprang  up.  This  is 
noticed  only  by  Mark.  How  it  adds  to  the  impressiveness  of 
the  scene,  and  to  the  picture  of  an  insistent,  anxious  eagerness 
that  could  not  tarry  ! 

51.  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  unto  thee.  All  three 
Evangelists  notice  the  question  with  which  Jesus  prefaced  the 
healing  act. 

Rabboni.  An  Aramaic  word  for  Master  or  Lord;  which 
came  also  to  the  lips  of  Mary  when  in  her  dead  sorrow  she 
suddenly  recognized  her  risen  Lord  (John  xx.  16). 

52.  Jesus  said  unto  him.  According  to  Matthew  Jesus 
touched  the  eyes  of  the  two  blind  men.  But  according  to  Mark 
and  Luke  the  restoration  of  the  one  sufferer  whose  case  they 
notice  was  effected  simply  by  the  sovereign  word.  All  three 
Evangelists  notice  that  this  miracle,  one  of  the  last  done  by  Jesus, 
was  wrought  on  the  ground  of  faith  in  the  subject, 

followed  him  in  the  way.  The  healed  man  at  once  joined 
the  company  and  went  with  them  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem. 

xi.  i-n.  Public  entry  into  Jerusalem  and  visit  to  the  Temple. 
Cf.  Matt.  xxi.  1-11  ;  Luke  xix.  29-45  ;  John  xii.  1,  12-19.  There 
is  considerable  difficulty  here  as  to  the  order  of  events,  and  as  to 
the  time  and  circumstances  of  the  entry  into  the  city.  The 
miracle  at  Jericho  was  followed  probably  by  the  incident  of 
Zacchaeus,  and  the  parable  of  the  Pounds.  But  the  question 
is  as  to  the  point  at  which  the  supper  at  Bethany  took  place,  and 
the  exact  date  of  the  arrival  of  Jesus  at  that  village.  According 
to  Tohn  xii.  1  he  came  to  Bethany  six  da}-s  before  the  Passover. 


262  ST.  MARK   11.  i 

Bethphage  and   Bethany,  at  the  mount  of  Olives,  he 

These  six  days,  however,  may  be  computed  in  different  ways,  and 
hence  the  date  is  variously  fixed.  Most,  however,  conclude  that  he 
arrived  at  Bethany  on  Friday  the  eighth  Nisan,  and  that  he  rested 
at  the  village.  The  statements  in  Matthew  (xxi.  i)  and  Mark 
(xi.  i)  might  seem  to  imply  that  he  went  on  direct  to  Jerusalem. 
But  this  does  not  necessarily  follow  from  their  accounts,  and  it 
would  be  inconsistent  with  John's  record.  But  when  did  the 
supper  and  the  anointing  at  Bethany  take  place  ?  Matthew  and 
Mark  do  not  introduce  their  reports  of  these  incidents  till  later 
(Matt.  xxvi.  6-13;  Mark  xiv.  3-9).  But  John  brings  it  in  before 
the  Triumphal  Entry,  and  this  is  accepted  by  most  as  the  actual 
order.  If  this  is  right,  it  will  appear  that  the  first  two  Gospels 
postpone  their  accounts  of  the  supper;  that  Jesus  came  to 
Bethany  on  the  Friday,  on  the  eve  of  the  Jewish  sabbath  ;  that 
he  spent  the  last  sabbath  before  his  crucifixion  in  quiet  in  the 
home  of  his  friends  there ;  and  that  he  made  his  entry  into 
Jerusalem  on  the  following  day — the  traditional  Palm  Sunday. 

1.  And  when  they  draw  nigh  unto  Jerusalem.  It  appears  that 
they  came  direct  from  Jericho  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem. 
Mark,  however,  does  not  say  distinctly  that  they  went  on  to 
Jerusalem.  He  notices  simply  that  they  came  to  the  villages  near 
it.  The  distance  from  Jericho  to  these  villages  was  about  fifteen 
miles,  and  it  lay  through  a  wild  and  dreary  country,  the  scene 
of  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  associated  with  danger  and 
difficulty.  Rest  would  be  welcome  after  such  a  journey,  and 
opportunity  would  be  needed  by  Jesus  to  prepare  himself  in 
privacy  and  quiet  for  the  painful  events  of  the  next  week. 

unto  Bethphage:  a  village  bearing  a  name  which  means 
probably  'the  house  of  figs.'  It  is  never  mentioned  in  the  O.  T., 
and  cannot  be  identified.  All  trace  of  it  has  disappeared,  and  all 
is  uncertain  about  it.  Some  take  it  to  have  been  a  village  over 
against  Bethany,  as  is  suggested  by  the  Synoptical  records. 
Others  think  it  was  a  district  rather  than  a  hamlet — an  '  ecclesi- 
astical suburb  of  Jerusalem.'  See  Andrews,  The  Life  of  our  Lord, 
p.  430. 

and  Bethany.  Matthew  refers  only  to  Bethphage.  Mark 
and  Luke  mention  both  Bethphage  and  Bethany. 

Bethany:  a  village  lying  on  the  slope  of  the  mount  of 
Olives,  fifteen  furlongs,  or  a  little  less  than  two  miles,  from 
Jerusalem  (John  xi.  1,  18,  xii.  1).  Its  name  is  of  uncertain  etymo- 
logy, being  supposed  by  some  to  mean  'a.  low  place,'  by  others 
1  house  of  dates.'  In  it  was  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper.  It  was 
also  the  home  of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters,  and  the  resting-place 
of  Jesus  on  his  way  to  and  from  the  great  feasts  in  Jerusalem. 
It  is  never  mentioned  in  the  O.  T.     Since  the  fourth  century  its 


ST.  MARK   11.  2  263 

sendeth  two  of  his  disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  Go  2 

site  has  been  identified  with  that  of  the  village  known  as  El- 
Azariyeh,  'the  place  of  Lazarus,'  a  cluster  of  some  twenty  houses 
inhabited  by  Bedouin  Arabs.  Dean  Stanley  speaks  of  it  as  '  a 
wild  mountain  hamlet,  screened  by  an  intervening  ridge  from 
the  view  of  the  top  of  Olivet,  perched  on  its  broken  plateau  of 
rock,  the  last  collection  of  human  habitations  before  the  desert 
hills  which  reach  to  Jericho'  {Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  186).  On 
the  basis  of  an  ancient  tradition  the  people  point  out  the  tomb 
of  Lazarus,  but  in  a  most  unlikely  place,  which  is  described  as 
•a  wretched  cavern  in  the  limestone  rock,  like  a  cellar  with 
about  twenty-five  steps,  to  which  we  descend  by  the  dim  light 
of  a  taper '  ^Schaff,  Bible  Lands,  p.  27). 

the  mount  of  Olives.  In  the  O.  T.  we  read  of  '  the  mount ' 
Neh.  viii.  15"),  'the  mount  that  is  before  Jerusalem'  (1  Kings  xi. 
7),  '  the  mountain  which  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  city '  i^Ezek.  xi. 
23),  'the  mount  of  corruption'  or  'destruction  '  (2  Kings  xxiii.  13), 
'  the  ascent  of  mount  Olivet '  (A.  V.)  or  '  the  ascent  of  the  mount 
of  Olives'  (R.V.,  2  Sam.  ::v.  30).  The  particular  form  'the 
mount  of  Olives'  in  the  O.  T.  occurs  only  in  Zech.  xiv.  4.  In 
the  N.  T.,  on  the  other  hand,  this  is  the  usual  name,  although  it 
is  occasionally  given  with  some  small  variations  (^Luke  xix.  29, 
xxi.  37  ;  Acts  i.  12).  The  whole  ridge  of  limestone  hills  lying  on 
the  east  of  Jerusalem,  and  separated  from  it  by  the  valley  of  the 
Kidron,  seems  to  have  been  spoken  of  as  '  the  mount  of  Olives.' 
More  properly  the  name  is  given  to  the  middle  of  the  three 
chief  eminences  of  that  ridge,  the  one  on  the  north  being  known 
as  mount  Scopus,  and  the  other  on  the  south  as  the  mount  of 
Offence  (see  Robinson,  Biblical  Researches,  i.  274).  The  '  mount ' 
rises  to  the  height  of  about  200  feet  above  the  temple,  and  over 
2,600  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean.  '  No  name  in 
Scripture  calls  up  associations,'  says  Dr.  Porter,  '  at  once  so 
sacred  and  so  pleasing  as  that  of  Olivet.  The  "mount"  is  so 
intimately  connected  with  the  private  life  of  our  Lord,  that  we 
read  of  it  and  look  at  it  with  feelings  of  deepest  interest  and 
affection.  Here  he  sat  with  his  disciples,  telling  them  of  the 
wondrous  events  yet  to  come ;  of  the  destruction  of  the  Holy 
City,  of  the  sufferings,  the  persecutions,  the  formal  triumph  of 
his  followers.'  Dean  Stanley  speaks  of  '  the  vision,  too  great 
for  words,  which  it  offers  to  the  Christian  traveller  of  all  times, 
as  the  most  detailed  and  the  most  authentic  abiding  place  of  Jesus 
Christ'  {Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  189). 

sendeth  two  of  his  disciples.  John's  narrative  defines 
the  time  when  the  young  ass  was  found  more  particularly  as 
'the  morrow'  after  his  arrival  at  Bethany  (xii.  1,  12,  14).  The 
two  disciples  are  left  unnamed.     It  is  suggested  with  some  reason 


264  ST.  MARK   11.  3-5 

your  way  into  the  village  that  is  over  against  you :  and 
straightway  as  ye  enter  into  it,  ye  shall  find  a  colt  tied, 
whereon  no  man  ever  yet  sat ;  loose  him,  and  bring  him. 

3  And  if  any  one  say  unto  you,  Why  do  ye  this  ?  say  ye, 
The  Lord  hath  need  of  him;    and  straightway  he  will 

4  send  him  back  hither.     And  they  went  away,  and  found 
a  colt  tied  at  the  door  without  in  the  open  street ;  and 

5  they  loose  him.     And  certain  of  them  that  stood  there 


that  Peter  was  one  of  them,  the  account  given  by  Mark  here  point- 
ing to  the  recollections  of  one  who  had  been  present  on  the 
occasion. 

2.  the  village  that  is  over  against  you.  Probably  Beth- 
phage,  especially  as  it  is  the  only  village  noticed  by  Matthew 
(xxi.  1). 

a  colt.  To  a  Greek  this  would  mean  a  young  horse ;  to 
a  Jew,  a  young  ass  (cf.  Gen.  xxxii.  15,  10,  xxix.  11  ;  Judges  x.  4, 
xii.  14,  and  especially  Zech.  ix.  9).  Matthew  quotes  the  passage 
in  Zechariah,  and  finds  its  fulfilment  in  the  present  event.  John 
also  quotes  the  prophecy,  with  some  modificatron  of  its  terms 
(xii.  15).  Matthew  speaks  of  an  ass  and  a  colt,  that  is,  the  colt 
with  his  mother. 

whereon  no  man  ever  yet  sat.  An  unbroken  colt,  as  was 
appropriate  in  the  case  of  one  meant  for  a  sacred  service.  See 
the  provisions  in  the  Mosaic  Law  (Num.  xix.  2 ;  Deut.  xxi.  3). 
Everything  was  foreseen  by  Jesus,  the  presence  of  the  colt,  the 
precise  place  where  he  should  be  found,  the  fact  that  he  was 
tied,  and  even  the  ready  compliance  of  those  in  charge  ;  and  all 
happened  exactly  as  he  had  said. 

3.  and  straightway  he  will  send  him  back  hither.  In 
Matthew  it  is  '  and  straightway  he  will  send  them,1  with  reference 
to  the  man's  readiness  to  send  the  animals.  Mark's  words,  accord- 
ing to  the  R.  V.,  express  the  undertaking  that  the  colt  will  not 
be  kept  longer  than  is  required,  but  will  be  returned. 

4.  in  the  open  street.  This  is  better  than  the  rendering  of 
the  A.  V. — 'in  a  place  where  two  ways  met'  The  word  means 
1  the  way  round '  the  house,  and  so  the  open  street  or  lane. 

5.  certain  of  them  that  stood  there.  This  might  mean  those 
hanging  about,  as  people  were  accustomed  to  do  in  idle  hours 
about  the  townships  and  lanes.  But  Luke  speaks  of  the  owners 
as  the  persons  who  put  the  question  to  the  two  disciples.  We 
may  reasonably  suppose  that  those  in  whose  hands  the  animal 
was,  and  who  required  no  other  persuasion  to  let  him  go  than  the 


ST.  MARK    11.  6-9  265 

said  unto  them,  What  do  ye,  loosing  the  colt  ?    And  they  6 
said  unto  them  even  as  Jesus  had  said  :  and  they  let  them 
go.     And  they  bring  the  colt  unto  Jesus,  and  cast  on  him  7 
their  garments  ;  and  he  sat  upon  him.    And  many  spread  8 
their  garments  upon  the  way ;  and  others  branches,  which 
they  had  cut  from  the  fields.     And  they  that  went  before,  9 

simple  mention  of  the  Lord's  need,  were  themselves  disciples.  If 
not,  they  must  at  least  have  known  Jesus  and  his  disciples 
sufficiently  well  to  make  them  at  once  trust  them. 

*7.  cast  on  him  their  garments.  An  unused  colt,  not  yet 
separated  from  the  mother,  would  not  be  provided  with  trappings. 
The  disciples  put  some  of  their  own  garments  on  the  creature, 
which  would  serve  as  a  saddle. 

he  sat  upon  him.  Jews  who  looked  for  Messiah  and  had 
respect  to  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah  (ix.  9)  expected  that  the 
promised  king  would  make  his  entry  in  this  way  into  Jerusalem. 
The  ass,  too,  was  the  symbol  of  humility  and  peace,  in  contrast 
with  the  horse  which  was  the  symbol  of  war.  In  seating  himself 
on  the  colt  Jesus  left  behind  him  the  time  of  silence  or  reserve, 
and  publicly  affirmed  his  claim  to  be  the  Messiah.  '  No  act,'  says 
Dr.  Geikie,  '  could  be  more  perfectly  in  keeping  with  the 
conception  of  a  king  of  Israel,  and  no  words  could  express  more 
plainly  that  the  king  proclaimed  himself  the  Messiah  '  {The  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  ii.  p.  395). 

8.  And  many  spread  their  garments  upon  the  way.  Others 
followed  the  two— not  the  Twelve  only,  but  many  more  who  were 
followers  in  different  degrees  of  loyalty.  The  act  was  one  of 
homage  such  as  was  done  to  kings  as  they  entered  cities.  See 
the  case  of  Jehu  (2  Kings  ix.  13). 

others  branches  :  or  better,  as  in  the  margin  of  the  R.  V., 
'layers  of  leaves.'  The  word  is  applicable  to  leafy  twigs,  long 
grass,  reeds,  rushes,  and  the  like.  So  the  enthusiasm  spread,  and 
took  the  form  of  carpeting  the  way  for  him  with  a  litter  of  green 
stuff. 

which  they  had  cut  from  the  fields.  The  road  from 
Bethany  to  Jerusalem,  winding  as  it  did  by  cultivated  fields  and 
gardens,  or  plantations  of  olives,  palms,  and  various  fruit  trees, 
would  readily  provide  material  which  they  could  cut  for  the 
purpose  in  view. 

9.  they  that  went  before,  and  they  that  followed.  John  tells 
us  that  '  a  great  multitude  that  had  come  to  the  feast,  when  they 
heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jerusalem,  took  branches  of  the 
palm  trees,  and  went  forth  to  meet  him  '  (xii.  12,  13).  It  appears, 
therefore,  that  Jesus  was  in  the  centre  of  two  great  streams  of 


266  ST.  MARK   11.  10 

and  they  that  followed,  cried,  Hosanna ;  Blessed  is  he 
10  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  Blessed  is  the 
kingdom  that  cometh,  the  kingdom  of  our  father  David  : 
Hosanna  in  the  highest. 


acclaiming  and  expectant  people—  one  that  came  from  the  villages 
on  the  mount  of  Olives,  and  another  that  came  now  to  meet  him 
from  the  sacred  city  itself. 

Hosanna.  In  Matthew  it  is  '  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David ' 
(xxi.  9).  This  is  properly  speaking  a  prayer,  and  the  invocation  was 
made  not  once,  but  repeatedly,  as  the  verb  implies.  It  is  the  i  save 
now,'  of  Psalm  cxviii — a  Psalm  long  and  closely  associated  with 
the  national  hope  of  Israel,  and  written  to  celebrate  some  great 
occasion  in  the  national  history,  the  dedication  of  the  Second 
Temple  in  516  b.c,  or  the  Passover  following  that  event  (Ezra  vi. 
15,  &c),  or  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  reported  in  Nehemiah  viii,  or, 
as  some  think,  the  triumph  of  Judas  Maccabaeus  and  his  purification 
of  the  temple  in  165  b.c.  (r  Mace.  iv.  37-59).  During  the  period 
of  the  Second  Temple,  the  twenty-fifth  verse  of  this  Psalm  formed 
'  the  festal  cry  with  which  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  was  com- 
passed in  solemn  procession,  once  on  each  of  the  first  six  days  of 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  and  seven  times  on  the  seventh  day.  This 
seventh  day  was  called  "  the  Great  Hosanna  "  {Hosanna  Rabba), 
and  not  only  the  prayers  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  but  even 
the  branches  of  willow  and  myrtle  bound  up  with  palm-branch 
(Lulab)  were  called  Hosannas''  (Delitzsch). 

Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
From  Ps.  cxviii.  26.  Luke  gives  '  Blessed  is  the  king  that 
cometh,'  thus  making  the  Messianic  reference  more  definite.  In 
the  Psalm  the  sentence  is  a  word  of  greeting  to  the  pilgrim  who 
comes  to  the  temple  at  the  feast.  Here  it  is  a  greeting  addressed 
to  Jesus  as  the  promised  king,  and  it  is  possible  that  a  Messianic 
interpretation  or  application  had  been  given  before  this  to  the 
Psalm,  or  to  this  part  of  it.  Luke  also  adds  the  words  '  peace  in 
heaven,  and  glory  in  the  highest '  (xix.  38). 

10.  Blessed  is  the  kingdom  that  cometh.  An  expansion 
of  the  words  of  the  Psalm,  recognizing  that  in  the  entry  of  Jesus 
on  the  colt  into  Jerusalem  the  kingdom  that  was  promised  to 
come  was  being  inaugurated.  And  this  'kingdom'  is  called  'the 
kingdom  of  our  father  David,'  as  it  is  the  fulfilment  of  that  regal, 
Divine  order  of  things  of  which  David's  kingdom  was  a  type. 

Hosanna  in  the  highest.     Cf.  the  angels'  song  (Luke  ii.  14). 

A  prayer  for  salvation  or  blessing  in  the  highest  heaven  where 

I  God  reigns.     The  salvation  is  conceived   of  as  prepared  or  re- 

j  served  there,  and  as  descending  thence  upon  the  new  kingdom. 


ST.  MARK   11.  11-13  267 

And  he  entered  into  Jerusalem,  into  the  temple;  and  11 
when  he  had  looked  round  about  upon  all  things,  it 
being  now  eventide,  he  went  out  unto  Bethany  with  the 
twelve. 

And  on  the  morrow,  when  they  were  come  out  from  12 
Bethany,  he  hungered.  And  seeing  a  fig  tree  afar  off  13 
having  leaves,  he  came,  if  haply  he  might  find  anything 

Matthew  records  the  impression  made  by  the  event.  He  tells 
us  that  '  all  the  city  was  stirred '  (xxi.  10).  When  he  adds  that 
the  people  asked,  '  Who  is  this  ? '  he  indicates  that  little  interest 
had  been  taken  by  the  mass  of  the  citizens  of  Jerusalem  in  the 
reports  of  the  work  of  Jesus.  Luke  completes  the  picture  of  this 
great  passage  in  our  Lord's  ministry  by  introducing  the  incidents 
of  the  remonstrance  of  the  Pharisees,  the  tears  of  Jesus  as 
he  saw  the  city,  and  his  lamentation  over  its  impending  doom 
(xix.  39-44)- 

11.  into  the  temple.  Passing  into  the  city  he  moved  on  at 
once  to  the  place  which  gave  it  all  its  significance.  By  the 
1  temple '  here  is  meant  not  the  shrine  itself,  the  '  house  of  God ' 
proper  (Matt.  xii.  4),  but  the  precincts  of  the  temple,  the  sacred 
enclosure.  He  would  enter  by  the  eastern  gate  and  come  into 
the  court  of  the  Gentiles.  The  traffic  which  desecrated  the  place, 
incongruous  as  it  was,  had  not  penetrated  into  the  sanctuary 
itself,  but  was  carried  on  in  the  outer  courts. 

looked  round  about.  As  it  was  late  he  did  no  more  than 
this,  but  withdrew  to  Bethany.  He  cast  a  keen,  searching, 
sorrowful  glance  around,  which  took  in  the  whole  scene  and 
prepared  him  for  the  action  of  the  morrow.  In  Matthew  the 
account  of  the  cleansing  of  the  temple  follows  immediately  on 
that  of  the  entry  into  the  city.  Mark's  account  is  the  most  exact 
and  circumstantial. 

xi.  12-14.  The  Barren  Fig-tree:  cf.  Matt.  xvi.  18,  19.  This 
incident  is  left  unnoticed  by  Luke.  It  is  reported  by  Matthew 
and  Mark  in  the  same  connexion. 

12.  on  the  morrow.     That  is,  Monday,  11   Nisan  (John  xii. 

I,    1-,. 

he  hungered.  He  had  eaten  nothing,  we  infer,  and  the 
labours  and  anxieties  of  the  day  were  before  him.  He  had  the 
desire  to  satisfy  his  hunger,  and  thought  the  opportunity  of  doing 
so  was  offered  by  the  appearance  of  a  solitary  fig-tree,  which  he 
saw  at  a  distance  by  the  roadside. 

13.  having  leaves.    The  sight  of  the  tree  in  leaf  suggested  that 


268  ST.  MARK   11.  14,15 

thereon :  and  when  he  came  to  it,  he  found  nothing  but 

J4  leaves ;    for  it  was  not   the   season  of  figs.      And   he 

answered  and  said  unto  it,  No  man  eat  fruit  from  thee 

henceforward  for  ever.     And  his  disciples  heard  it. 

x5      And  they  come  to  Jerusalem  :  and  he  entered  into  the 

there  might  be  fruit  on  it.     For,  in  the  case  of  the  fig-tree,  the 
leaf  succeeds  the  fruit. 

nothing  but  leaves.  On  approaching  the  tree  he  discovered 
that  it  was  abnormally  in  foliage,  and  that  nothing  but  leaves  was 
on  it. 

for  it  was  not  the  season  of  fig's.  An  explanation  of  the 
fact  that  no  fruit  was  found  on  the  tree.  In  Palestine,  figs  are 
gathered  late  in  May,  or  more  usually  in  June.  But  it  was  yet  only 
about  the  season  of  the  Passover,  which  was  from  late  March  to 
the  middle  of  April.  The  point  here  is  the  association  of  leaf and 
fruit.  It  is  possible,  indeed  (though  it  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be 
more  than  that),  that  some  figs  of  the  previous  year  might  be  left 
hanging  on  the  tree  through  the  winter.  But  the  possibility  of 
such  remnants  of  a  previous  crop  being  found  on  the  tree  is  not 
limited  to  the  case  of  trees  in  leaf.  What  is  in  view  here  is  the  fact 
that  where  the  green  foliage  is  seen  there  fruit  is  to  be  expected. 
But  in  this  case  no  fruit  of  any  kind,  ripe  or  unripe,  was  discovered. 
A  fig-tree  in  leaf  unless  its  appearance  was  a  deception,  should 
have  fruit  on  it,  green  fruit  at  least,  if  not  mature.  But  this  tree 
had  nothing  except  leaves.  It  belied  its  profession,  and  this  was 
its  condemnation.  So  Jesus  made  it  an  object-lesson  by  which  he 
might  convey  to  the  minds  of  his  disciples  a  serious  idea  of  the 
moral  attitude  of  the  Jewish  people,  and  the  doom  involved  in 
a  religion  of  pretension  and  barrenness. 

14.  No  man  eat  fruit  from  thee  henceforward  for  ever.  In 
the  parable  of  the  Fig-tree  Jesus  had  already  dealt  with  the 
matter  of  unfruitfulness  (Luke  xiii.  6-9).  Here  he  speaks  of  an 
unfruitfulness  which  is  aggravated  by  vain,  deceptive  profession. 
The  fault  which  he  found  with  the  tree  was  that  it  failed  to  make 
good  in  any  way  the  promise  which  it  displayed  to  the  eye.  The 
sentence  which  he  pronounced  upon  it  was  with  a  view  to  the 
moral  instruction  of  his  disciples,  and  the  warning  of  the  Jewish 
nation.     Mark  alone  notices  the  fact  that  '  the  disciples  heard  it.' 

xi.  15-19.  The  Purging  of  the  Temple  :  cf.  Matt.  xxi.  12-17  ; 
Luke  xix.  45-48.  The  Fourth  Gospel  also  reports  a  cleansing 
of  the  temple  (John  ii.  13-17),  but  places  it  at  the  beginning  of 
the  ministry  of  Jesus.  The  three  Synoptical  Gospels  agree  in 
recording  a  purgation  of  the  temple  at  the  close  of  his  ministry. 
The  acts  were  similar,  yet  there  are  certain  differences  in  the 


ST.  MARK  11.  16  269 

temple,  and  began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold  and  them 
that  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables 
of  the  money-changers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold 
the  doves ;  and  he  would  not  suffer  that  any  man  should  16 

details  as  well  as  in  the  times.  Nor  is  there  anything  incongruous 
or  unreasonable  in  the  supposition  that  Jesus  may  have  asserted 
the  holiness  of  his  Father's  house,  and  given  token  of  the 
necessity  of  a  radical  change  in  the  religion  of  the  Jews  by 
a  solemn  and  authoritative  act  of  this  kind,  both  at  the  outset  of 
his  ministry  and  at  its  close.  The  difference  in  the  plans  of  the 
Gospel  narratives  accounts  for  the  difference  between  the  S37nop- 
tists  and  John  in  this  matter. 

15.  he  entered  into  the  temple.  His  purpose  was  to  do  what 
his  brief  inspection  on  the  previous  evening  shewed  him  to  be 
necessary.  Things  had  settled  into  the  old,  profane  ways  in 
spite  of  the  impression  made  by  the  previous  cleansing.  The  evil 
traffic  was  again  in  full  swing,  and  had  become  even  worse  than 
before.  He  repeated,  therefore,  his  act  of  condemnation  and 
expulsion,  and  did  it  with  still  greater  thoroughness  and  authority. 

cast  out  them  that  sold  and  them  that  bought.  Sellers 
and  buyers  were  alike  dead  to  the  sense  of  what  the  temple  was, 
and  were  equally  involved  in  his  condemnation.  The  market  in 
question  had  been  allowed  a  place  within  the  temple  precincts  on 
the  plea  of  public  convenience.  It  dealt  only  with  things  required 
for  the  temple  services,  victims  for  the  various  offerings,  wine, 
oil,  salt,  and  the  like,  and  it  had  the  sanction  of  the  chief  priests. 
It  saved  pilgrims  the  trouble  of  bringing  the  various  requirements 
with  them  from  their  distant  homes,  and  enabled  all  to  obtain  on  the 
spot  what  they  needed  for  sacred  use.  But  it  had  become  the 
subject  of  great  abuse.  The  sordid,  mercenary  spirit  turned  all 
to  desecration,   profanity,  greed,  and  fraud. 

tables  of  the  money-changers.  Every  Jew  had  to  pay 
a  tax  of  a  half-shekel  annually  for  the  support  of  the  temple,  and 
it  had  to  be  paid  in  Jewish  money  (Matt.  xvii.  24 ;  Exod.  xxx.  13, 
&c).  Pilgrims  who  brought  Gentile  money  had  to  get  Jewish 
coin  for  it.  The  money-changers  reaped  large  profits  by  their 
transactions  at  the  time  of  the  great  festivals.  They  were 
allowed  to  charge  a  sum  of  from  a  third  to  a  fourth  of  a  denarius 
for  each  half-shekel  exchanged. 

them  that  sold  the  doves.  It  was  provided  by  the  Levitical 
law  that  doves  might  be  offered  on  the  occasion  of  the  purification 
of  women,  in  the  case  of  those  who  were  unable  to  purchase  lambs 
(Lev.  xii.  8 ;  cf.  Luke  ii.  22).  Doves  were  also  the  offerings 
prescribed  in  some  other  cases,  such  as  the  cleansing  of  lepers, 
&c.  (Lev.  xiv.  22,  xv.  14,  29). 


270  ST.  MARK   11.  17,  18 

17  carry  a  vessel  through  the  temple.  And  he  taught,  and 
said  unto  them,  Is  it  not  written,  My  house  shall  be 
called  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  the  nations  ?  but  ye  have 

18  made  it  a  den  of  robbers.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the 
scribes  heard  it,  and  sought  how  they  might  destroy  him  : 

16.  carry  a  vessel  through  the  temple.  This,  too,  is 
peculiar  to  Mark.  The  word  '  vessel '  here  is  applicable  to  any 
kind  of  implement  or  any  article  of  household  use — pots,  tools, 
and  the  like.  People  had  got  into  the  habit  of  taking  a  short  cut 
through  the  precincts  of  the  temple,  and  had  made  a  business 
thoroughfare  of  the  sacred  enclosure.  This  had  been  forbidden 
by  the  Jewish  authorities.  But  the  prohibition  had  fallen  into 
neglect,  and  Jesus  enforces  it  anew. 

17.  taught.  The  crowds  hanging  about  him  there,  so  deeply 
moved  by  what  he  did  in  the  temple,  gave  him  an  opportunit}' 
not  to  be  neglected.  The  great  subject  of  his  instructions,  as  the 
next  words  shew,  was  the  Divine  purpose  of  the  temple,  and  the 
way  in  which  it  had  been  perverted. 

a  house  of  prayer  for  all  the  nations.  The  quotation  is 
from  Isa.  lvi.  7.  The  law  provided  for  the  presentation  of  offerings 
in  the  temple  on  the  part  of  '  strangers  '  in  Israel  (Lev.  xvii.  8, 
&c,  xxii.  18,  &c.  ;  Num.  xv.  14,  &c).  The  prophecy  in  Isaiah 
spoke  of  such  strangers — those  '  that  join  themselves  to  the  Lord, 
to  minister  unto  Him ' — as  being  brought  along  with  the  chosen 
people  from  exile  to  God's  f  holy  mountain  '  ;  as  made  joyful  in  His 
'  house  of  prayer ' ;  and  as  laying  their  offerings  and  sacrifices 
with  acceptance  on  his  altar.  Mark  alone  introduces  this  mention 
of  the  heathen  nations,  appropriate  as  it  is  to  a  discourse  which 
has  its  occasion  in  a  desecration  proceeding  in  the  court  of  the 
Gentiles. 

ye  have  made  it  a  den  of  robbers.  Better  than  the  '  den  of 
thieves'  of  the  A.V.  This  sentence  takes  us  back  to  the  words  of 
another  prophet — Jeremiah  (vii.  11).  Two  great  evils  attended  the 
traffic  which  the  Jewish  authorities  had  allowed.  The  temple  had 
been  turned  from  its  proper  purpose  as  a  house  of  prayer.  The 
chaffering  of  traders,  the  noiseof  thesacrificialbeasts,  the  din  of  men 
tramping  through  the  sacred  place  with  their  vessels,  made  prayer 
incongruous  or  impracticable  in  the  very  place  set  apart  for  the 
use  of  the  Gentiles.  But  there  was  a  second  evil  and  a  worse. 
The  secularity  had  turned  into  dishonesty.  The  place  of  worship 
had  become  a  place  of  robbery,  in  which  greedy  and  unscrupulous 
traders  enriched  themselves  at  the  cost  of  those  who  came  to  offer 
their  oblations  to  God. 

18.  chief  priests  and  the  scribes.      In  John's  Gospel  two 


ST.   MARK    11.  19  271 

for  they  feared  him,  for  all  the  multitude  was  astonished 
at  his  teaching. 

And  every  evening  he  went  forth  out  of  the  city.  10 

previous  instances  of  a  combination  between  the  chief  priests  and 
the  scribes  are  noticed  (vii.  32,  &c,  xi.  47,  57);  this  is  the  first 
occasion  of  the  kind  mentioned  in  the  Synoptical  Gospels.  Luke 
adds  'the  chief  of  the  people,'  that  is,  prominent  representatives, 
probably  the  elders  (xix.  47).  All  classes,  therefore — the  pro- 
fessional orders  and  the  general  body  of  the  people  in  the  person 
of  their  outstanding  men — now  went  hand  in  hand,  contriving  how- 
to  get  rid  of  Jesus. 

they  feared  him.  The  difficulty  was  how  they  could  effect 
their  end.  They  saw  that  he  had  still  multitudes  of  the  common 
people  with  him,  and  that  the}'  continued  under  the  spell  of  his 
teaching.     This  made  them  afraid  to  interfere  with  him  openly. 

19.  out  of  the  city.  Matthew  is  more  explicit,  and  tells  us  it 
was  to  Bethany.  It  was  our  Lord's  habit,  therefore,  during  these 
fateful  days,  to  spend  his  active  hours  in  the  city,  and  when  he 
could  no  longer  teach,  to  retire  to  the  quiet  hamlet  on  the  uplands. 

Matthew  adds  some  interesting  particulars.  He  mentions  how 
the  blind  and  the  lame  came  to  Jesus  after  the  cleansing,  and  were 
healed  by  him — the  only  instances  of  healing  works  done  within 
the  temple.  He  also  tells  us  how  the  children  (perhaps  members 
of  the  temple  choir,  as  has  been  suggested),  caught  by  the  general 
enthusiasm,  took  up  the  Hosannas  which  they  had  heard  the 
previous  day,  and  re-echoed  them  ;  that  the  chief  priests  and 
scribes  were  '  moved  with  indignation  '  at  this  ;  and  how  Jesus 
rebuked  their  mistaken  displeasure  by  the  testimony  of  the  eighth 
Psalm  (xxi.  14-16). 

This  narrative,  it  will  now  be  seen,  differs  from  that  in  John 
(ii.  13-17)  in  not  a  few  points.  It  does  so  in  respect  of  time  and 
historical  connexion.  The  incident  it  reports  belongs  to  the  close 
of  the  ministry,  and  is  related  to  the  triumphant  entry ;  whereas  the 
occurrence  recorded  by  John  belongs  to  the  outset  of  the  ministry, 
and  is  placed  in  relation  to  the  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee  and 
the  visit  to  Capernaum.  There  are  differences  also  in  the  par- 
ticulars. The  scourge  of  small  cords  appears  in  John's  narrative, 
but  not  in  that  of  the  Synoptists.  The  prohibition  regarding  the 
carrying  of  vessels  through  the  temple  appears  in  Mark,  but  not 
in  John.  In  the  Fourth  Gospel  the  Father's  house  is  described  as 
having  been  made  a  house  of  merchandize  ;  in  the  Second  Gospel 
the  charge  is  a  heavier  one — 'ye  have  made  it  a  den  of  robbers.'' 
In  John's  Gospel  the  purgation  ends  with  nothing  more  serious 
than  a  challenge  to  Jesus  to  give  proof  of  his  authority ;  in  the 
Synoptical  Gospels  it  excites  the  spirit  of  murderous  enmity,  and 


272  ST.  MARK   11.  20-23 

20      And  as  they  passed  by  in  the  morning,  they  saw  the 

31  fig  tree  withered  away  from  the  roots.     And  Peter  calling 

to  remembrance  saith  unto  him,  Rabbi,  behold,  the  fig 

22  tree  which  thou  cursedst  is  withered  away.     And  Jesus 

23  answering  saith  unto  them,  Have  faith  in  God.  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  say  unto  this  mountain, 
Be  thou  taken  up  and  cast  into  the  sea ;  and  shall  not 

is  followed  by  vengeful  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  pro- 
fessional classes  and  the  heads  of  the  people.  There  is  good 
reason,  therefore,  to  say  that  the  narratives  refer  to  two  distinct 
events,  similar  in  character  and  significance,  but  each  with  its 
special  appropriateness  in  its  own  connexion. 

xi.  20-25.     The  Withering  of  the  Fig-tree.     Cf.  Matt.  xxi.  19-22. 

20.  as  they  passed  by  in  the  morning-.  As  we  gather  from 
Matthew  (xxi.  19),  the  tree  was  not  private  property,  but  planted, 
as  was  often  the  case,  by  the  side  of  the  public  road,  and  in 
a  position  where  any  one  could  see  it. 

they  saw  the  fig"  tree  withered  away.  What  a  change ! 
A  change,  too,  of  a  kind  which  they  could  not  fail  to  notice. 
Yesterday  the  tree  attracted  attention  by  its  unwonted  foliage,  so 
fresh  and  green  and  abundant.  To-day  it  draws  wondering  eyes 
upon  it  by  its  shrivelled,  blasted  look. 

from  the  roots.  By  morning,  then,  the  blight  had  penetrated 
it  through  and  through,  branch  and  root.  Matthew  speaks  of  the 
tree  as  withering  immediately  after  Jesus  spoke  'the  words,  '  Let 
there  be  no  fruit  from  thee  henceforward  for  ever.1  And  the 
process  of  decay,  which  was  complete  by  morning,  may  well  have 
set  in  then. 

21.  Peter  calling1  to  remembrance.  The  words  of  Jesus 
uttered  the  previous  evening  leaped  at  once  into  Peter's  memory, 
and  in  astonishment  he  called  the  attention  of  the  Master  to  the 
result. 

22.  Have  faith  in  God.  The  answer  might  seem  little  to  the 
point.  Yet  it  was  a  direct  reply  to  the  wonder  expressed  in 
Peter's  utterance.  It  referred  him  to  faith  and  its  possibilities  as  the 
explanation. 

23.  Whosoever  shall  say  unto  this  mountain.  Jesus  had 
spoken  in  similar  terms  to  his  disciples  on  the  occasion  of  their 
failure  at  the  foot  of  mount  Hermon  (Matt.  xvii.  20 ;  cf.  also  Luke 
xvii.  6).  This  was  a  favourite  figure  of  speech  for  things  passing 
ordinary  capacity.  Rabbis  of  exceptional  influence  were  described 
as  removers  or  pi  tickers  up  of  mountains. 


ST.  MARK   11.   24,25  273 

•doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  what  he  saith 
cometh  to  pass ;  he  shall  have  it.  Therefore  I  say  unto  24 
you,  All  things  whatsoever  ye  pray  and  ask  for,  believe 
that  ye  have  received  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them. 
And  whensoever  ye  stand  praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  25 
aught  against  any  one ;  that  your  Father  also  which  is  in 
heaven  may  forgive  you  your  trespasses. 

but  shall  believe.  In  the  power  of  his  faith  in  his  Father 
Jesus  did  his  own  works  ;  this  strange  and  startling  one  no  less 
than  others  of  a  different  kind  which  they  had  often  witnessed. 
The  same  trustful  dependence  on  God  would  be  for  them  the 
source  of  a  power  which  would  make  them  capable  of  accomplishing 
what  was  impossible  to  other  men. 

24.  Therefore  I  say  unto  you.  The  fact  that  faith  has  such 
power  is  his  reason  for  proceeding  to  speak  also  of  prayer. 

All  thing's  whatsoever  ye  pray  and  ask  for.  Prayer,  too, 
will  bring  them  power  and  make  things  clear  to  them.  But  prayer 
without  faith  in  God  can  have  no  efficacy. 

25.  whensoever  ye  stand  praying".  Kneeling  or  entire  prostra- 
tion was  the  form  in  which  pra}'er  was  offered  on  occasions  of 
exceptional  public  importance  or  national  trouble,  as  in  the  case, 
e.g.,  of  the  dedication  of  the  temple  (1  Kings  viii.  54),  Ezra's 
confession  (Ezra  ix.  5),  Daniel's  petitions  in  the  face  of  the  decree 
vDan.  vi.  io\  our  Lord's  agony  (Matt.  xxvi.  30^,  Stephen's  death 
(Acts  vii.  50),  Paul's  prayer  at  Miletus  and  at  Tyre  (Acts  xx.  36, 
xx i.  5).  But  the  ordinary  posture  seems  to  have  been  standing 
(cf.  i  Kings  viii.  14,  22  ;  Neh.  ix.  4  ;  Jcr.  xviii.  20;  Ps.  exxxiv.  1  ; 
Malt.  vi.  5;  Luke  xviii.  11,  13). 

forgive.  By  another  natural  transition  he  passes  on  to 
inculcate  the  forgiving  spirit.  For  that  is  a  second  condition  to 
the  efficacy  of  prayer,  and  it  is  Gcd's  order  that  forgiveness  on 
His  part  is  linked  with  forgiveness  on  our  part.  Of  this  Jesus 
had  already  spoken  when  he  unfolded  the  nature  of  prayer  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  (Matt.  vi.  14,  15). 

your  Father.  The  only  occurrence  of  this  highest  name  of 
God  in  Mark.  Our  Lord  had  already  made  his  disciples  familiar 
with  it  (Matt.  vi.  12,  14,  &c). 

your  trespasses.  A  word  meaning  literally  '  lapses,'  and  so 
misdeeds. 

These  declarations  on  faith,  prayer,  and  forgiveness  were 
appropriate,  as  Meyer  points  out,  'to  guard  against  a  false 
conclusion  from  the  occurrence  with  the  fig-tree.'  The  incident 
itself  has  its  explanation  in  its  symbolical  meaning.     The  lesson 

T 


274  ST.  MARK   11.  27-30 

27  And  they  come  again  to  Jerusalem :  and  as  he  was 
walking   in   the  temple,  there  come  to  him   the  chief 

28  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders;  and  they  said 
unto  him,  By  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things  ?  or 

29  who  gave  thee  this  authority  to  do  these  things  ?  And 
Jesus  said  unto  them,  I  will  ask  of  you  one  question,  and 
answer  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do 

30  these  things.     The  baptism  of  John,  was  it  from  heaven, 

it  was  intended  to  teach  was  the  same  as  that  given  in  the  parable 
of  the  Fruitless  Fig-tree  (Luke  xiii.  6-9).  The  fig-tree  by  the 
roadside  with  its  shew  of  leaves  was  a  natural  parable  of  the 
religious  condition  of  the  Jewish  people  ;  and  the  withering  to 
which  it  was  condemned  was  an  acted  parable  of  the  doom  of 
the  nation.  The  tree  was  condemned,  as  Archbishop  Trench 
remarks,  '  not  for  being  without  fruit,  but  for  proclaiming  by  the 
voice  of  those  leaves  that  it  had  fruit ;  not  for  being  barren,  but 
for  being  false.' 

Verse  26,  inserted  by  the  A.  V.,  is  omitted  by  the  R.  V.  as  of 
doubtful  documentary  authority. 

xi.  27-33.  Challenge  of  the  Authority  of  Jesus:  cf.  Matt.  xxi. 
23-27  ;  Luke  xx.  1-8. 

27.  walking1  in  the  temple.  The  third  visit,  as  it  appears, 
at  this  time.  He  was  again  probably  in  the  court  of  the  Gentiles, 
perhaps  in  Solomon's  porch  (John  x.  23). 

the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders.  All 
the  three  classes  now  confederate  approach  him  with  a  challenge. 
The  party  included  the  custodians  of  the  temple,  who  might 
reasonably  claim  to  know  by  what  right  Jesus  asserted  jurisdiction 
where  they  were  in  charge,  and  interfered  with  customs  which 
they  sanctioned. 

28.  By  what  authority.  Their  first  demand  was  that  he  should 
inform  them  of  the  kind  of  authority  he  had. 

or  who  gave  thee  this  authority  to  do  these  things  ?  Their 
second  and  alternative  demand  was  that  he  should  tell  them  the 
source  of  his  authority.  To  do  as  he  had  done,  overturning  and 
ejecting  in  the  temple,  surely  required  a  sanction  that  could  be 
produced. 

29.  I  will  ask  of  you  one  question.  Before  he  will  say  any- 
thing about  his  own  authority,  he,  too,  has  a  matter  to  settle  with 
them.     It  is  about  John's  authority  to  baptize  as  he  did. 

30.  was  it  from  heaven,  or  from  men  ?  The  question  placed 
them  on  the  horns  of  a  dilemma.  If  they  said  it  was  a  Divine 
authority,  they  exposed  themselves  to  the  retort  that  they  had 


ST.  MARK   11.  31—12.  1  275 

or  from  men?    answer  me.     And  they  reasoned  with  3 x 
themselves,  saying,  If  we  shall  say,  From  heaven  ;  he  will 
say,  Why  then  did  ye  not  believe  him  ?     But  should  we  32 
say,  From  men — they  feared  the  people :    for  all  verily 
held  John  to  be  a  prophet.     And  they  answered  Jesus  33 
and  say,  We  know  not.     And  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
Neither  tell  I  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

And  he  began  to  speak  unto  them  in  parables.     A  man  12 
planted  a  vineyard,  and  set  a  hedge  about  it,  and  digged 

neglected  or  repudiated  it.  If  they  said  it  was  a  purely  human 
authority,  they  feared  they  would  have  the  people  against  them  ; 
for  the  people  held  John  to  have  been  a  prophet  indeed. 

33.  We  know  not.  They  took  refuge  in  a  cowardly  profession 
of  ignorance,  and  could  not  further  press  their  own  question. 

xii.  1-12.  The  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen  :  cf.  Matt, 
xxi.  33-46  ;  Luke  xx.  9-19. 

1.  he  begun  to  speak  nnto  them  in  parables.  To  this  period 
belong  also  the  parables  of  the  Two  Sons,  and  the  Marriage  of  the 
King's  Son,  which  are  recorded  only  by  Matthew  (xxi.  28-32, 
xxii.  1-14).  Though  silenced  for  the  time,  the  Jewish  authorities 
did  not  quit  the  scene,  and  Jesus  resumed  his  parabolic  teaching, 
giving  it  a  new  form  specially  addressed  to  those  officials  and 
representatives  of  the  people.  Luke  tells  us  that  this  parable  of 
the  Wicked  Husbandmen  was  spoken  to  the  people  themselves, 
while  Matthew  and  Mark  state  that  it  was  directed  to  the  official 
classes  in  particular. 

a  vineyard.  The  foundation  of  the  parable  is  the  O.  T. 
figure  of  Israel  as  the  Lord's  vineyard,  of  which  we  have 
instances  both  in  the  Psalms  and  in  the  Prophets  (e.  g.  Ps.  lxxx ; 
Isa.  v.  2,  &c. ;  Jcr.  ii.  21) — a  figure  peculiarly  appropriate  in 
a  land  in  which  the  vine  was  tended  with  such  care  and  yielded 
such  a  return  (Deut.  xxviii.  8,  &c).  The  passage  in  the  fifth 
chapter  of  Isaiah  is  most  in  view  here. 

set  a  hedge  abont  it.  The  '  hedge '  might  be  a  hedge  in  our 
sense  of  the  word,  a  hedge  of  thorns.  The  prickly  wild  aloe  is 
said  to  be  used  for  such  purposes,  and  to  make  a  very  serviceable 
defence  (cf.  Ps.  lxxx.  12,  13  ;  Song  of  Songs,  ii.  15).  Or  it  might 
rather  be  a  stone  wall  of  a  rough  kind,  such  as  may  be  seen  in 
Palestine  to-day.  Dean  Stanley  says  that  '  enclosures  of  loose 
stone,  like  the  walls  of  fields  in  Derbyshire  or  Westmoreland, 
everywhere  catch  the  eye  on  the  bare  slopes  of  Hebron,  of 
Bethlehem,  and   of  Olivet'   (Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  421).     Thus 

T    2 


276  ST.  MARK   12.  2-6 

a  pit  for  the  winepress,  and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out 

2  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  another  country.  And  at 
the  season  he  sent  to  the  husbandmen  a  servant,  that  he 
might  receive  from  the  husbandmen  of  the  fruits  of  the 

3  vineyard.     And  they  took  him,  and  beat  him,  and  sent 

4  him  away  empty.  And  again  he  sent  unto  them  another 
servant ;  and  him  they  wounded  in  the  head,  and  handled 

5  shamefully.     And  he  sent  another ;  and  him  they  killed  : 

6  and  many  others ;  beating  some,  and  killing  some.  He 
had  yet  one,  a  beloved  son  :  he  sent  him  last  unto  them, 

was  the  valuable  possession  to  be  protected  against  wild  beasts, 
boars,  jackals,  foxes,  and  the  like  (Ps.  lxxx.  13  ;  Num.  xxii.  24  ; 
Song  of  Songs,  ii.  15  ;  Neh.  iv.  3),  and  against  robbers. 

digged  a  pit  for  the  winepress.  The  grapes  were  placed 
in  a  vat,  in  which  they  were  trodden  by  the  feet  of  the  servants — 
a  joyous  operation  accompanied  with  song  (Judges  ix.  27  ;  Isa. 
lxiii.  2  ;  Jer.  xxv.  30).  This  was  the  '  press,'  in  most  cases  a 
trough  dug  in  the  solid  rock  or  in  the  earth,  in  which  latter  case 
it  was  lined  with  masonry  (cf.  Num.  xviii.  30;  Prov.  in.  10; 
Isa.  lxiii.  3;  Lam.  i.  15").  At  a  lower  elevation  was  the  'pit,'' 
a  smaller  cavity,  also  often  excavated  out  of  the  rock,  into  which 
the  juice  of  the  trodden  grapes  ran. 

built  a  tower.  For  purposes  of  observation  and  defence,  as 
also  for  the  shelter  of  the  servants  in  charge,  and  for  storage.  So 
everything  was  done  that  care  could  do,  and  the  owner  who,  as 
was  often  the  case,  let  the  vineyard  to  tenants,  here  called  '  the 
husbandmen.'  was  entitled  to  look  at  the  end  of  the  season  for 
his  rent.  That  rent  was  paid  in  the  form  of  a  certain  portion  of 
the  fruits. 

2.  he  sent  to  the  husbandmen  a  servant.  First  one  slave  is 
sent  to  gather  the  rent,  then  another,  then  many  more  ;  but, 
instead  of  receiving  what  was  due  to  their  master,  they  were 
beaten,  or  wounded,  or  killed.  In  Matthew's  version  of  the 
parable  the  servants  are  sent  in  two  successive  bands.  In  this 
Jesus  doubtless  had  in  view  the  treatment  of  the  messengers  of 
God  by  those  in  power  in  the  evil  times  of  Jewish  history,  the 
menaces  levelled  at  Elijah  by  Jezebel,  and  at  Elisha  by  Jehoram 
(1  Kings  xix.  2;  2  Kings  vi.  31),  the  imprisonment  of  Micaiah 
(r  Kings  xxii.  24-27),  the  prophets  slain  in  Ahab's  time  (1  Kings 
xviii.  13),  the  stoning  of  Zechariah  by  the  order  of  Joash  (2  Chron. 
xxiv.  21),  and  the  like. 

6.  He  had  yet  one,  a  beloved  son.     Not  a  slave  now,  but  one 


ST.   MARK    12.   7-10  277 

saying,  They  will  reverence  my  son.     But  those  husband-  7 
men  said  among  themselves,  This  is  the  heir ;  come,  let 
us  kill  him,  and  the  inheritance  shall  be  ours.     And  they  s 
took  him,  and  killed  him,  and  cast  him  forth  out  of  the 
vineyard.     What  therefore  will  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  9 
do  ?  he  will  come  and  destroy  the  husbandmen,  and  will 
give  the  vineyard  unto  others.     Have  ye  not  read  even  10 
this  scripture ; 

of  more  account  by  far  than  man}'  slaves.  But  when  the  husband- 
men became  aware  that  the  son  was  coming,  they  took  cruel  counsel 
one  with  another  and  decided  to  put  him  to  death,  thinking  that 
they  might  make  the  inheritance  their  own.  This  great  title  'heir' 
in  the  N.T.  is  the  stated  name  for  the  adopted  of  God  (e.  g.  Rom. 
iv.  13,  viii.  17  ;  Gal.  iii.  29,  iv.  1,  7  ;  Tit.  iii.  7  ;  Heb.  vi.  17,  xi.  17  ; 
Jas.  ii.  5N.  Christ  is  the  '  heir'  in  the  unique  sense  in  which  also 
he  is  the*  Son, 'the  'heir  of  all  things,'  made  such  by  God  (Heb.  i.  2). 

9.  What  therefore  will  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  do  ?  This  is 
the  question  to  which  the  terms  of  the  parable  are  meant  to  lead 
up.  Here  it  is  put  and  answered  by  Jesus  himself.  In  Matthew 
those  addressed  are  made  to  give  the  reply,  which  condemns  them 
out  of  their  own  mouth.  In  Luke  those  who  hear  betra\'  their 
consciousness  of  what  Jesus  meant  by  cr}Ting  out,  •  God  forbid.' 

10.  Have  ye  not  read  even  this  scripture?  '■Even  this 
scripture '  :  for  the  passage  was  a  familiar  and  oft  quoted  one.  It 
is  taken  from  Ps.  cxviii,  which,  under  the  figure  of  a  stone  cast  aside 
by  builders,  but  afterwards  recovered  and  made  the  key-stone  of 
the  fabric,  speaks  of  Israel  as  set  aside  and  despised  bjr  the  world- 
powers,  but  finally  restored  to  the  place  of  honour  designed  for  it 
by  God  among  the  nations.  This  Psalm  appears  to  have  received 
a  Messianic  interpretation  among  the  Jews.  Here  it  is  applied 
by  Jesus  to  himself,  the  true  representative  of  Israel,  rejected 
indeed  by  the  ruling  classes  of  a  perverted  Judaism,  but  the  elect 
of  God,  appointed  to  be  the  head  of  a  new  Israel,  the  point  of  unity 
of  the  people  of  God,  both  Jewish  and  Gentile.  Ey  '  the  head  of 
the  corner  '  is  meant  not  the  cope-stone,  but  one  of  the  stones  set 
in  the  corners  of  a  building  so  as  to  bind  the  walls  together — the 
chief  of  these,  the  one  laid  with  public  ceremony.  Peter  makes 
use  more  than  once  of  the  words  thus  doubly  consecrated  by  the 
Lord's  application  of  them  (Acts  iv.  it  :  1  Pet.  ii.  4~7N.  Paul  also 
introduces  it  more  than  once  into  his  high  argument  (Rom.  ix.32; 
Kph.  ii.  20  \  attaching  it  to  the  word  of  Isaiah  (xxviii.  16). 

The  meaning  of  the  parable  could  not  be  mistaken.  In  its  clear 
terms  leaders  and  people  both  were  shewn  themselves  in  their 


278  ST.  MARK   12.  n-13 

The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected, 
The  same  was  made  the  head  of  the  coiner  : 

11  This  was  from  the  Lord, 

And  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  ? 

12  And  they  sought  to  lay  hold  on  him;  and  they  feared 
the  multitude;  for  they  perceived  that  he  spake  the 
parable  against  them  :  and  they  left  him,  and  went 
away. 

13  And  they  send  unto  him  certain  of  the  Pharisees  and 
of  the  Herodians,  that  they  might  catch  him  in  talk. 

privilege,  their  sin,  and  their  doom  ;  in  the  grace  given  them  b}' 
God,  their  misuse  of  the  gift,  and  their  disregard  of  His  prophets. 
It  was  a  prophecy  of  the  judgement  of  God  on  them  and  their 
nation  for  their  final  guilt — the  rejection  of  the  speaker  himself, 
their  Messiah. 

12.  they  sought  to  lay  hold  on  him.  A  second  time  they 
would  fain  have  laid  hands  on  him  here  and  now,  but  dared  not  in 
face  of  the  s}rmpathy  of  the  masses. 

xii.  13-17.  Questions  by  the  Pharisees:  cf.  Matt.  xxii.  15-22; 
Luke  xx.  20-26. 

13.  they  send  unto  him.  This  refers  to  the  chief  priests, 
scribes,  and  elders  already  mentioned.  Matthew  represents  the 
Pharisaic  party  as  the  senders,  and  the  persons  sent  as  certain  of 
their  own  'disciples.'  If  they  were  young  pupils  the  selection 
would  be  cunningly  made,  so  as  to  give  the  impression  of  sincerity 
and  guilelessness  on  the  part  of  the  questioners.  The  authorities 
change  their  tactics.  Instead  of  confronting  Jesus  in  a  body,  they 
now  send  separate  companies  of  emissaries,  all  with  the  purpose 
of  getting  Jesus  to  compromise  himself  by  something  he  might  be 
tempted  to  say  in  reply  to  some  apparently  innocent  question. 
A  series  of  three  such  questions  follows. 

and  of  the  Herodians.  The  Pharisees  take  the  lead,  but 
associate  with  themselves  some  of  the  Herodians.  By  these  we 
are  to  understand  members  of  the  Herodian  party,  of  which 
mention  has  already  been  made  in  Mark's  Gospel  (iii.  6)  ;  not, 
as  some  imagine,  some  of  Herod's  soldiers  (Luke  xxiii.  11).  This 
combination  of  Herodians  with  the  Pharisees  is  noticed  only  by 
Mark.  It  is  of  a  piece  with  the  crafty  character  of  the  policy  as 
a  whole.  For  these  two  parties  were  sharply  divided  in  their 
sympathies  with  regard  to  the  matter  at  issue,  the  one  being 
intensely  opposed  to  the  foreign  rule  of  the  Roman,  the  other 


ST.  MARK    12.  14-16  279 

And  when  they  were  come,  they  say  unto  him,  Master,  14 
we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  carest  not  for  any  one : 
for  thou  regardest  not  the  person  of  men,  but  of  a  truth 
teachest  the  way  of  God  :  Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto 
Caesar,  or  not?  Shall  we  give,  or  shall  we  not  give?  15 
But  he,  knowing  their  hypocrisy,  said  unto  them,  Why 
tempt  ye  me  ?  bring  me  a  penny,  that  I  may  see  it.     And  16 

accepting  it  and  profiting  by  it.     In  his  reply,  therefore,   Jesus 
could  not  avoid,  as  they  thought,  giving  offence  to  one  or  other, 
catch  him,  or  l  ensnare  '  him.     It  is  a  hunter's  term. 

14.  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  carest  not  for  any  one. 
A  cunningly  contrived  address,  using  his  truthfulness  and  fearless- 
ness as  inducements  to  make  him  answer.  Surely  he  was  not  the 
man  to  shirk  awkward  and  dangerous  questions.  He  would  meet 
their  difficulties  at  any  cost,  without  regard  to  fear  or  favour,  and 
so  they  came  to  him. 

Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar  ?  The  '  tribute  '  is  the 
capitation -tax  or  poll-tax  (as  distinguished  from  the  ordinary 
customs  on  merchandize),  levied  on  individuals  and  paid  yearly 
into  the  imperial  treasury.  It  was  an  offence  to  the  patriotic  Jew, 
as  it  was  the  token  of  his  subjection  to  foreign  rule,  and  because 
the  coin  in  which  it  was  paid  bore  the  emperor's  effigy.  This 
was  not  the  case  with  the  copper  coins  current  among  the  Jews 
locally,  as  distinguished  from  the  imperial  coinage.  In  deference 
to  Jewish  feeling  these  were  stamped  with  other  devices — leaves 
of  the  native  trees,  and  the  like. 

15.  Shall  we  give,  or  shall  we  not  give  ?  The  former  question 
touched  only  the  legitimacy  of  paying  the  tax  under  the  provisions 
of  the  Jewish  law.  This  one  brought  the  matter  to  the  practical 
point  of  actual  payment  or  refusal.  The  rising  of  Judas  of 
Galilee,  the  Gaulanite  as  he  is  called  by  Josephus  {Antjq. 
xviii.  i.  .1),  which  is  referred  to  in  Acts  (v.  37),  had  its  occasion 
in  the  odium  attaching  to  this  tax.  In  the  second  administration 
of  Ouirinius  (cf.  Luke  ii.  1,  2,  with  respect  to  the  first),  when 
Judaea  had  been  made  a  part  of  the  Roman  province  of  Syria, 
a  census  was  ordered  (a.  d.  6-8),  '  the  great  census,'  as  it  was 
termed,  which  was  taken  according  to  the  Roman  methods  of 
enumeration  and  valuation.  It  meant  the  exaction  of  tribute,  which 
was  fiercely  resisted  by  Judas  and  his  followers.  To  pay  tribute 
to  a  heathen  ruler  was  to  be  unfaithful  to  Jehovah  whom  alone 
they  owned  as  king. 

bring  me  a  penny :  rather,  a  silverling  or  a  shilling.  The 
tribute  had  to  be  paid  in  the  imperial  silver  coinage.     Matthew 


280  ST.  MARK   12.   17 

they  brought  it.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Whose  is  this 
image  and  superscription  ?  And  they  said  unto  him, 
17  Caesar's.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Render  unto  Caesar 
the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  that 
are  God's.     And  they  marvelled  greatly  at  him. 

and  Luke  say  '  shew  me.'  But  Mark's  'bring  me'  expresses  the 
exact  position.  It  was  Jewish  coins  that  were  required  for  the 
temple,  and  the  men  now  about  Jesus,  Pharisees  and  others,  might 
not  have  a  denarius  in  their  purses.  The  coin  had  to  be  procured, 
probably  from  the  money-changers,  and  the  bystanders  would 
wait  for  it  wondering  all  the  more  what  was  to  happen. 

16.  image :  the  figure  of  the  head  of  Tiberius,  encircled  by 
laurel. 

superscription  :  the  legend  or  device  on  the  other  side  of  the 
coin.  A  figure  of  Livia,  the  emperor's  mother,  seated,  the  sceptre 
in  one  hand  and  a  flower  in  the  other,  is  shewn  on  a  denarius 
which  has  come  down  from  the  time. 

they  said  unto  him,  Csesar's.  Thus  were  they  made  to 
answer  their  own  question.  The  Jewish  Rabbis  taught  that 
'  wheresoever  the  money  of  any  king  is  current,  there  the  in- 
habitants acknowledge  that  king  for  their  lord.'  (See  Abbot's 
Commentary  on  Matthew  and  Mark,  p.  242.) 

17.  Bender.  The  word  is  the  one  used  for  the  giving  back 
of  the  book  to  the  attendant  in  the  synagogue  at  Nazareth,  and  of 
the  healed  boy  to  his  father  (Luke  iv.  20,  ix.  42).  It  means  the 
discharge  of  a  debt,  the  giving  back  of  something  that  is  due. 
Benefits  received  under  a  government  imply  corresponding  obliga- 
tions to  it.  Acceptance  of  the  government  of  Caesar,  as  indicated 
by  acceptance  of  his  coinage  and  enjoyment  of  the  privileges 
secured  under  his  rule,  meant  acceptance  also  of  responsibilities, 
and  among  these  the  payment  of  what  was  Caesar's  due,  what 
was  required  for  the  support  of  his  administration. 

unto  Csesar  the  things  that  are  Csesar's,  and  unto  Cod  the 
things  that  are  God's.  There  are  duties  to  civil  government, 
then,  and  duties  to  God.  They  are  entirely  compatible  with  each 
other,  and  are  to  be  faithfully  discharged  each  in  its  own  proper 
sphere.  But  there  is  also  a  distinction  between  them,  and  the  one 
class  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  other.  There  is  further  a  limit 
to  the  former.  '  The  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God'  (Rom.  xiii. 
1)  ;  Caesar  himself  is  of  God,  and  his  commands  are  binding  so  far 
as  they  are  consistent  with  that  relation.  Submission  and  loyal 
obedience  to  civil  rule  are  enforced  repeatedly  in  the  N.T. ,  especially 
by  Paul  and  Peter  (Rom.  xiii.  1-7  ;  1  Cor.  vii.  21-24  ;  Eph.  vi.  5  8  ; 
Col.  iii.  22-25  j    r  Pet-  "•  I3_I7)-     The  duty  of  refusing  obedience 


ST.  MARK  12.  1 8  281 

And  there  come  unto  him  Sadducees,  which  say  that  iS 

when  the  requirements  of  civil  authority  conflict  with  the  supreme 
law  of  duty  to  God  is  recognized  both  in  the  O.  T.  (Dan.  iii.  18, 
vi.  10)  and  in  the  N.  T.  (Acts  iv.  19,  v.  29). 

marvelled  greatly.  A  strong  word,  found  in  the  N.  T.  only 
here,  and  meaning  that  they  were  utterly  amazed,  so  that  they 
had  nothing  to  say  (they  '  held  their  peace,'  says  Luke)  and  were 
glad  to  quit  the  scene.  They  '  left  him,  and  went  their  way,'  says 
Matthew.  They  had  hoped  they  were  to  ensnare  him  one  way 
or  other.  If  he  said  they  should  pay  the  tax,  he  would  turn 
the  people  against  him,  who  expected  their  Messiah  to  rid  them 
of  the  Roman  yoke  and  the  hated  Roman  taxation.  If  he  said 
they  should  not  pay,  he  would  expose  himself  to  the  charge  of 
not  being  Caesar's  friend,  and  have  the  Roman  authorities  against 
him.  The  accusation  of  perverting  the  nation  and  'forbidding 
to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,'  for  which  the  reply  desired  by  these 
Pharisees  would  have  given  ground,  was  afterwards  made  against 
him  in  spite  of  their  defeat  on  this  occasion  (Luke  xxiii.  2).  Here 
their  own  action  is  made  to  refute  and  silence  them. 

xii.  18-27.     The  Question  of  the  Sadducees.    Cf.  Matt.  xxii.  23-33  5 
Luke  xx.  27  38. 

18.  there  come  unto  him  Sadducees.  The  emissaries  of  the 
Pharisees  being  discomfited,  certain  members  of  the  opposite  part}7 
take  their  place.  This  is  the  first  and  only  direct  introduction  of 
the  party  of  the  Sadducees  in  Mark's  Gospel,  and  the  same  is  the 
case  with  Luke  (xx.  27).  The  Sadducees  indeed  are  seldom 
mentioned  by  name  in  the  N.  T.  In  the  Book  of  Acts  they  come 
thrice  upon  the  scene  (iv.  I,  v.  17,  xxii.  6,  7,  8).  As  to  the  Gospels, 
it  is  mainly  in  Matthew  that  they  appear,  and  not  often  even  there 
(iii.  1,  7,  v.  17.  xvi.  6,  11,  12,  xxii.  23,  34V  In  John's  Gospel  they 
are  never  noticed  directly  by  name.  Josephus  speaks  of  them  as 
a  small  minority  of  the  Jews,  and  as  consisting  only  of  the  rich 
and  those  of  highest  station  (Antiq.  xiii.  x.  6,  xviii.  i.  4V  The 
word  Sadducees  is  now  generally  understood  to  be  derived  from 
the  proper  name  Zadok.  The  Zadok  in  view  is  probably  the 
faithful  priest  of  David's  time  (2  Sam.  xv.  24,  &c.  ;  1  Kings  i.  32, 
&c).  The  sons  of  Zadok  had  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
priestly  families  after  the  return  from  exile.  They  represented 
the  old  priestly  party,  who  sought  to  bring  the  Jewish  people  over 
to  Greek  ways.  They  are  first  heard  of  as  a  distinct  part}'  in  the 
reign  of  John  Hyrcanus  (135-105  b.  c.V  They  enjoyed  most 
power  during  the  times  preceding  Pompcy's  capture  of  Jerusalem. 
After  the  destruction  of  the  city  in  a.  d.  70  the}'  are  no  more  heard 
of.  They  belonged  to  the  priestly  aristocracy,  the  party  being 
made  up  indeed  of  chief  priests  and  their  families.      Hence  when 


232  ST.  MARK   12.  19-21 

there  is  no  resurrection;  and  they  asked  him,  saying, 

19  Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us,  If  a  man's  brother  die,  and 
leave  a  wife  behind  him,  and  leave  no  child,  that  his 
brother  should  take  his  wife,  and  raise  up  seed  unto  his 

20  brother.     There  were  seven  brethren  :  and  the  first  took 

21  a  wife,  and  dying  left  no  seed;  and  the  second  took  her, 

the  '  chief  priests '  are  mentioned  along  with  the  Pharisees,  the 
Sadducaic  party  may  be  understood  to  be  in  view.  They  counted 
for  little  with  the  people,  and  they  do  not  seem  to  have  taken  any 
notice  of  Jesus  till  late  in  his  ministry.  When  he  accepted  the 
title  'son  of  David,'  and  interfered  with  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
great  council  by  changing  things  in  the  temple,  the  Sadducees 
joined  with  others  in  the  opposition  which  aimed  at  his  life. 

which  say  that  there  is  no  resurrection.  So,  too,  in  the 
parallel  passages  in  Matthew  and  Luke.  So  also  Josephus  (Antiq. 
xviii.  i.  3,  &c).  In  Acts  it  is  added  that  thej'  held  also  that  there 
is  '  neither  angel  nor  spirit '  (xxiii.  8).  From  Josephus  we  learn 
further  that  they  denied  future  rewards  and  punishments  ;  that 
they  thought  of  the  soul  as  perishing  with  the  body ;  and  that  they 
disavowed  the  doctrines  of  fate,  or  absolute  foreordination,  and 
providence  {Antiq.  xviii.  i.  3,  &c.  ;  Jewish  War,  ii.  viii.  14). 

19.  Moses  wrote  unto  us,  If  a  man's  brother  die.  The 
reference  is  to  the  Levirate  law  as  given  in  the  Deuteronomic 
code  (Deut.  xxv.  5,  6),  which  was  a  provision  to  prevent  the 
extinction  of  families.  This  law  of  Levirate  marriage  was  to 
the  effect  that,  if  a  man  died  without  a  son  to  succeed  him,  his 
brother  should  marry  the  widow,  and  that  the  first-born  son  of 
this  second  union  should  be  registered  as  the  child  of  the  deceased 
husband.  It  is  to  be  observed,  however,  that  it  did  not  apply 
universally,  but  only  to  cases  where  the  brothers  dwelt  together. 
The  law  is  quoted  freety,  so  that  the  terms  vary  somewhat  in  the 
several  records. 

20.  There  were  seven  brethren.  They  put  an  imaginary  case 
and  an  extreme  one,  which  might  seem  to  reduce  the  doctrine  of 
a  bodily  resurrection  to  absurdity.  Not  unlikely  it  was  a  familiar 
puzzle  with  which  the  sceptical  Sadducee  was  accustomed  to  vex 
the  soul  of  the  orthodox  Pharisee  ;  and  to  the  Pharisee  with  his 
crude,  materialistic  ideas  of  the  future  life  it  would  be  a  great 
difficulty.  Would  this  new  teacher  be  able  to  meet  it  without 
committing  himself  to  their  sceptical  doctrine,  or  to  a  position 
which  could  be  ridiculed  ?  The  doctrine  of  a  bodily  resurrection 
and  the  word  of  the  law  in  the  matter  of  Levirate  unions  were 
things  that  could  not,  as  they  thought,  be  reconciled.  Could  he 
answer  so  as  to  make  them  consistent  ? 


ST.  MARK  12.  22-26  283 

and  died,  leaving  no  seed  behind  him ;   and  the  third 
likewise:    and  the  seven  left  no  seed.     Last  of  all  the  22 
woman  also  died.     In  the  resurrection  whose  wife  shall  23 
she  be  of  them  ?  for  the  seven  had  her  to  wife.     Jesus  24 
said  unto  them,  Is  it  not  for  this  cause  that  ye  err,  that 
ye  know  not  the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God?     For  25 
when  they  shall  rise  from  the  dead,  they  neither  marry, 
nor  are  given  in  marriage ;  but  are  as  angels  in  heaven. 
But  as  touching  the  dead,  that  they  are  raised ;  have  ye  26 

24.  Is  it  not  for  this  cause  that  ye  err  ?  He  declares  the 
questioners  themselves  at  fault.  The  difficulty  which  they  pro- 
pounded had  no  foundation.  It  was  in  error  the}'  made  of  it  what 
the}'  did.  He  gives  two  reasons  also  for  their  mistake — their 
misunderstanding  of  the  very  scriptures  to  which  they  appealed, 
and  their  ignorance  of  the  power  of  God.  In  the  following  verses 
he  explains  these  reasons  further,  taking  the  latter  first. 

25.  they  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage.  These 
Sadducees,  clever  as  they  judged  themselves,  and  ill-content  with 
the  popular  doctrine,  were  yet  as  incapable  as  others  of  rising 
above  the  ordinary  notions  of  things.  They  thought  of  life  only 
as  it  was  known  to  them  under  its  earthly  conditions.  The}'  had 
no  conception  of  a  life  that  could  be  both  lived  and  continued 
under  higher  conditions  and  with  different  relations.  But  God's 
power  was  not  to  be  limited,  as  they  imagined,  to  one  order  of 
existence.  He  could  provide  a  life  in  which  there  was  no  death, 
and,  therefore,  neither  birth  nor  marriage.  So  in  Luke  the  state- 
ment is  given  in  these  express  terms — 'They  that  are  accounted 
worthy  to  attain  to  that  world,  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage  :  for  neither  can  they  die 
any  more '  (xx.  35,  36). 

are  as  angels.  Not  '  are  angels,'  but  *  are  as  angels.'  The 
difference  between  human  existence  and  angelic  remains  ;  but  in 
the  resurrection-life  men  will  be  like  angels,  as  the  possessors  of 
an  undying  life,  independent  of  the  marriage  relation. 

26.  have  ye  not  read  in  the  book  of  Moses  ?  Jesus  now  passes 
to  the  other  reason  for  their  mistake — their  misunderstandings  of 
scripture.  They  had  appealed  to  Moses.  He  now  confutes  them 
by  Moses,  convicting  them  of  ignorance  of  the  very  authority  they 
had  adduced.  The  'book  of  Moses'  is  the  law  ;  which  gets  that 
name  in  the  O.  T.  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  12),  but  in  the  N.  T.  is  usually 
known  as  'Moses'  ("Luke  xvi.  20^  or  'the  law  of  Moses'  (Luke 
xxiv.  44  ;  Acts  xxviii.  23  ;  cf.  John  i.  45). 


284  ST.  MARK   12.  27 

not  read  in  the  book  of  Moses,  in  the  place  concerning  the 
Bash,  how  God  spake  unto  him,  saying,  I  am  the  God 
of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
27  Jacob  ?  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living  : 
ye  do  greatly  err. 

in  the  place  concerning  the  Bush :  lit.  l  at  The  Bush ' ;  'that 
is,  in  the  paragraph  of  the  Torah  or  Law  which  gives  the  story  of 
the  Burning  Bush  (Exod.  iii.  1,  &c).  So  in  Rom.  xi.  2  we  have 
'  in  Elijah'  (R.  V.,  marg.)  for  '  in  the  section  relating  to  Elijah.' 

how  God  spake  vmto  him.  In  Luke.  Moses  is  made  the  speaker 
(xx.  37.) 

I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the 
God  of  Jacob.  Cf.  Exod.  iii.  6.  The  repetition  of  the  terms  points 
to  the  distinct  and  individual  relation  in  which  God  stands  to 
each. 

27.  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living.  God 
spoke  of  Himself  as  still  the  God  of  the  patriarchs,  still  in  relation 
to  them  though  they  were  departed.  But  the  living  God  can  be  in 
actual,  living  relation  only  to  the  living.  Hence  these  departed 
fathers  must  be  in  existence.  The  point  of  the  statement  turns  on 
two  things.  Of  these  the  first  is  the  O.  T.  conception  of  the  divine 
fellowship.  The  condition  of  life,  of  all  life  worthy  of  the  name,  is 
the  fellowship  of  God,  and  that  fellowship  ensures  the  life  (cf.  e.  g. 
Ps.  xvi.  8-1 1,  xlix.  13-15,  lxxiii.  23-26.)  The  second  is  the  O.  T. 
conception  of  man.  The  Hebrew  Scriptures  think  of  man  as  a 
unity,  in  the  integrity  and  oneness  of  his  corporeal  and  incorporeal 
nature.  They  do  not  distinguish  sharply,  as  modern  thought  does, 
between  soul  and  body,  and  speak  simply  of  the  immortality  of 
the  latter.  It  is  the  man  himself,  the  whole  living,  breathing  man, 
that  passes  at  death  unto  Sheol,  the  unseen  world,  and  continues 
to  exist  there.  It  was  on  these  foundations  that  the  O.  T.  revela- 
tion of  life,  immortality,  and  resurrection  rose  and  grew  from 
stage  to  stage  in  definiteness  and  clearness.  So  the  argument 
from  the  words  '  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of  Jacob/  which  might  seem  to  us  not  to  cany  us 
beyond  the  idea  of  an  immortality  of  soul,  meant  to  the  Hebrew 
mind  the  continued  existence  of  the  man  himself  in  the  integrity  of 
his  substantial,  living  being,  and  so  contained  the  idea  of  a  resur- 
rection. Luke  adds  'for  all  live  to  him,'  extending  the  scope  of 
the  statement  beyond  the  patriarchs  named.  To  us  men  seem  to 
die  ;  to  God  they  live.  '  Death  is  a  change  of  relation  to  the  world 
and  to  men  ;  it  does  not  change  our  relation  to  God  '  (Swete). 

ye  do  greatly  err.  Peculiar  to  Mark.  Their  lack  of  insight 
into  scripture  had  led  them  far  astra}'.     Matthew  notices  the  effect 


ST.  MARK   12.  28-31  285 

And  one  of  the  scribes  came,  and  heard  them  question-  28 
ing  together,  and  knowing  that  he  had  answered  them 
well,  asked  him,  What  commandment  is  the  first  of  all  ? 
Jesus  answered,  The  first  is,  Hear,  O  Israel;   The  Lord  29 
our  God,  the  Lord  is  one :  and  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  3° 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength.     The  second  31 
is  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.     There 

upon  the  people  and  upon  the  questioners.     The  multitudes  '  were 
astonished  '  ;  the  Sadducees  were  'put  to  silence'  (xxii.  33,  34). 
xii.  28-34.    The  Question  of  a  Scribe :  cf.  Matt.  xxii.  34-40. 

28.  one  of  the  scribes  came.  This  scribe,  a  'lawyer'  as 
Matthew  calls  him,  had  been  present  when  the  question  of  the 
resurrection  was  under  discussion,  and  had  been  impressed  by  the 
reply  of  Jesus.  He  belonged  to  the  party  of  the  Pharisees  (Matt, 
xxii.  34.  35  ,  and  when  the  opposite  sect  withdraws  silenced,  he 
comes  forward  with  a  question  of  a  different  kind.  Matthew  speaks 
of  him  as  'tempting'  Jesus  (xxii.  35).  Mark  represents  Jesus  as 
recognizing  the  discreetness  of  his  words  (xii.  34).  Luke  intro- 
duces his  account  of  the  question  of  a  lawyer  regarding  the  way  to 
inherit  eternal  life  at  an  earlier  stage,  after  his  report  of  the  mission 
of  the  Seventy,  and  in  connexion  with  the  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  (x.  25-29A 

What  commandment  ?  The  words  may  refer  to  the  quality 
of  the  commandment  rather  than  to  its  place  among  the  ten.  What 
is  the  kind  of  commandment  that  is  entitled  to  rank  first?  What 
must  be  its  distinguishing  quality  ?  The  question  was  one  often 
debated  in  the  schools. 

29.  The  first  is,  Hear,0  Israel.  Jesus  at  once  points  the  scribe 
to  the  words  of  the  Deuteronomic  version  of  the  decalogue  ( Deut.  vi. 
4,  5\  and  to  that  part  of  it  which  not  only  had  the  foremost  place 
in  the  code,  but  was  repeated  twice  every  day  by  all  Jews,  and  was 
carried  about  by  the  strictest  of  them  in  their  phylacteries — the  two 
small  leather  boxes  worn,  the  one  on  the  forehead  and  the  other 
on  the  left  arm  ^Matt.  xxiii.  1,  &c).  Our  Lord  may  have  pointed, 
as  he  spoke,  to  such  a  phylactery  on  the  person  of  the  scribe  him- 
self as  a  visible  witness  to  the  supremacy  of  the  commandment 
which  enjoined  love  to  God,  and  that  with  all  the  capacities  of  our 
being — 'heart'  and  'soul'  and  'mind'  and  'strength,'  the  whole 
force  of  our  intellectual,  emotional,  and  moral  nature. 

The  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord  is  one.  Better  than  the  render- 
ing of  the  A.  V.,  '  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord.' 

31.  The  second  is  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 


286  ST.  MARK   12.  32-34 

32  is  none  other  commandment  greater  than  these.  And 
the  scribe  said  unto  him,  Of  a  truth,  Master,  thou  hast 
well  said  that  he  is  one  ;  and  there  is  none  other  but  he  : 

33  and  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  and  with  all  the 
understanding,  and  with  all  the  strength,  and  to  love  his 
neighbour  as  himself,  is  much  more  than  all  whole  burnt 

34  offerings  and  sacrifices.  And  when  Jesus  saw  that  he 
answered  discreetly,  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  not  far 
from  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  no  man  after  that  durst 
ask  him  any  question. 

thyself.  The  words  are  from  Leviticus  (xix.  18V,  cf.  Rom.  xiii.  9  ; 
Gal.  v.  14;  Jas.  ii.  8.  In  Leviticus  the  word  'neighbour'  is  used 
with  reference  to  fellow  Jews.  In  the  N.T.  it  has  the  widest  possible 
extension  of  meaning.  Jesus  lifted  it  at  once  and  for  ever  out  of  its 
more  limited  application  by  his  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
(Luke  x.  29-37).  This  precept,  therefore,  expresses  the  principle 
of  the  second  table  of  the  moral  law  as  the  former  does  that  of  the 
first  table.  This  mention  of  a  second  foremost  commandment  is 
made  unsolicited,  and  this  precept  is  said  by  Jesus  expressly  to 
be  Mike  unto'  the  first  (xxii.  39),  of  the  same  character,  with 
the  same  claims,  and  equally  essential.  The  sum  and  substance 
of  all  duty  are  in  these  two  requirements,  and  the  second  is  the 
test  of  the  first.     Than  these  there  can  be  none  '  greater.' 

34.  answered  discreetly.  Jesus  saw  that  the  scribe  recognized 
the  moral  duties  to  be  far  more  than  ceremonial  performances  and 
material  sacrifices  in  any  of  their  forms.  '  Burnt-offerings'  is  the 
more  specific  term,  applicable  to  offerings  expressive  of  thanks- 
giving or,  it  may  be,  of  dedication.  l  Sacrifices '  is  the  more 
general  term,  covering  all  kinds  of  sacrificial  victims  or  offerings. 
In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  we  read  of  i  sacrifices  and  offerings, 
and  whole  burnt- offerings  and  sacrifices  for  sin'  (x.  8). 

Thou  art  not  far  front  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  scribe  had 
at  least  this  qualification  for  the  kingdom,  that  he  understood  its 
requirements  to  be  moral  requirements,  the  fundamental  duties  of 
love  to  God  and  love  to  man,  and  not  ceremonial  observances. 
Having  this  insight  into  spiritual  things  and  this  sympathy  with 
them,  he  wanted  little  to  make  him  a  disciple. 

durst  ask  him  any  question.  The  policy  of  entangling 
questions  had  failed.  In  each  case  the  captious  questioners  had 
been  refuted  out  of  their  own  mouths,  and  in  each  case  the  diffi- 
culty had  been  solved  by  being  taken  down  to  the  underlying 
principle.     None  had  the  courage  to  proceed  further  in  this  way. 


ST.  MARK  12.  354-37  287 

And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  as  he  taught  in  the  35 
temple,  How  say  the  scribes  that  the  Christ  is  the  son 
of  David  ?     David  himself  said  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  36 

The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord, 

Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand, 

Till  I  make  thine  enemies  the  footstool  of  thy  feet. 
David  himself  calleth  him  Lord ;  and  whence  is  he  his  37 
son  ?     And  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly. 

xii.  35-40.  The  Counter-question  of  Jesus :  cf.  Matt.  xxii.  41-45  ; 
Luke  xx.  41-44. 

35.  answered  and  said.  As  if  in  what  he  now  said  he  had  still 
questions  in  view,  those  questions  which  had  been  put  to  him. 
He  will  now  dismiss  them  once  and  for  all  by  a  counter-question, 
and  one  which  these  men  could  not  answer. 

as  he  taught  in  the  temple.  When  courage  failed  his 
interrogators  to  continue  their  course,  he  was  able  to  resume 
his  instructions  in  the  temple  which  had  been  interrupted. 

How  say  the  scribes  ?  In  Matthew  the  question  is  addressed 
to  the  Pharisees.     Both  parties  seem  to  have  been  present  again. 

that  the  Christ  (i.  e.  the  Messiah)  is  the  son  of  David. 
That  the  Messiah  was  to  come  of  David's  line  was  inferred  from 
important  passages  in  the  Prophets  (Isa.  xi.  1  ;  Jer.  xxiii.  5)  and 
the  Psalms  (lxxxix.  3,  4,  exxxii.  11).  It  was  the  general  belief 
of  the  time  (cf.  Matt.  xxi.  9,  15;  Mark  xi.  10). 

36.  David  himself  said  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  That  is,  by  in- 
spiration, or  in  the  character  of  a  prophet.  So  Peter,  quoting  the 
sixteenth  Psalm  as  David's,  says  of  him  that  '  being  a  prophet  .  . . 
he  foreseeing  this  spake  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Christ '  (Acts  ii. 
25»  3°i  3r)«  The  mention  of  his  inspiration  here  gives  the  greater 
authority  to  his  words.  The  Psalm  in  question,  the  sixteenth, 
was  interpreted  as  a  Messianic  Psalm,  and  in  that  character  it  is 
quoted  in  the  N.  T.  more  frequently  than  any  other  Messianic 
passage  of  the  O.  T.  (Acts  ii.  34,  35  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  25  ;  Heb.  i.  13, 
v.  6,  vii.  17,  21).  It  is  quoted  here  with  very  little  modification 
from  the  Greek  version  of  the  O.  T.  Jesus  does  not  pause  here  to 
occupy  himself  with  any  questions  of  Biblical  criticism.  He  accepts 
the  current  view  of  the  authorship  and  the  interpretation  of  the 
Psalm,  and  on  that  basis  proposes  his  question,  by  which  he  is  at 
once  to  silence  these  crafty  adversaries  finally,  and  to  expose  the 
insufficiency  of  their  ideas  of  the  Messiah. 

37.  David  himself  calleth  him  Zaord.  The  Psalm  speaks  of 
a  prince  who  is  also  priest,  and  of  him  as  one  who  is  exalted  to 
equality  with  Jehovah  and  makes  subjects  of  all  his  enemies.    This 


288  ST.  MARK   12.  38-40 

38      And  in  his  teaching  he  said,  Beware  of  the  scribes, 

which  desire  to  walk  in  long  robes,  and  to  have  salutations 

;,9  in  the  marketplaces,  and  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues, 

40  and  chief  places  at  feasts :  they  which  devour  widows' 

prince  is  addressed  by  Jehovah  and  is  called  by  him  Lord.  This 
is  said  by  '  David  himself,'  the  Psalm  being  written  by  him,  and 
it  is  said  prophetically  of  the  Messiah  whom  these  scribes  and 
Pharisees  speak  of  as  the  son  of  David.  So  there  arises  the 
difficulty  which  is  expressed  in  the  next  sentence. 

whence  is  he  his  son  ?  How  comes  it  then  that  he  is  his 
son  ?  How  can  this  Messiah,  who  is  the  subject  of  David's 
prophecy,  be  at  once  David's  Lord  and  David's  son  ?  To  this 
question  neither  scribes  nor  Pharisees  could  reply,  because  their 
ideas  of  the  Messiah  were  limited  and  insufficient.  The  conjunction 
of  Lordship  and  sonship  meant,  what  they  did  not  recognize,  that 
the  Messiah  was  more  than  a  royal  descendant  of  David  the  king — 
that  he  had  a  higher  relation  still,  a  peculiar  relation  to  God  which 
made  him  Lord  even  of  David. 

And  the  common  people :  rather,  the  '  great  multitude '  of 
the  common  people. 

heard  him  gladly.  In  the  connexion  in  which  they  stand  here 
the  words  seem  to  mean  that  they  heard  gladly  what  he  said  of 
Messiah's  Lordship  as  well  as  his  Davidic  sonship. 

xii.  38-40.  Warning  against  the  Scribes  :  cf.  Matt,  xxiii.  1-39; 
Luke  xx.  45-47. 

38.  And  in  his  teaching  he  said.  He  was  able  now  to 
continue  his  teaching.  It  was  directed  both  to  his  disciples  and  to 
the  people  (Matt,  xxiii.  1),  to  the  disciples  in  the  first  instance,  but 
also  in  the  hearing  of  the  people  i^Luke  xx.  45).  It  took  the  form 
now  of  denunciation  of  the  professional  classes  and  warning  against 
them.  Of  this  teaching  Mark  and  Luke  give  but  a  few  representa- 
tive fragments.  In  Matthew  we  have  it  recorded  at  greater 
length. 

which  desire  to  walk  in  long  robes.  Stately,  flowing  robes 
like  those  of  kings  and  priests.     The  sign  of  ostentation. 

salutations  in  the  marketplaces.  High-sounding  titles, 
Rabbi,  Master,  and  the  like  (cf.  Matt.  xxii.  7-10),  addressed  to 
them  in  the  most  public  way. 

39.  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues.  Probably  the  benches  or 
stalls  reserved  for  the  elders,  in  front  of  the  ark  and  facing  the 
people. 

chief  places  at  feasts.  Not  '  the  uppermost  rooms'  as  in  the 
A.  V.,  but  the  places  reserved  at  table  for  the  most  eminent  guests. 
What  these  were  is  not  quite  certain.     Probably  custom  was  not 


ST.  MARK  12.  4r  289 

houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayers ;  these 
shall  receive  greater  condemnation. 

And  he  sat  down  over  against  the  treasury,  and  beheld  41 

constant.  But  in  the  Rabbinical  books  the  seat  of  honour  is  said 
to  have  been  the  central  place,  when  three  persons  reclined 
together.  Three  couches,  it  is  said,  used  to  be  arranged  along 
three  sides  of  a  table  (the  fourth  side  being  left  open  for  the 
purpose  of  service),  and  of  these  the  middle  one  was  the  place 
of  the  chief  guest.  These  scribes  craved,  therefore,  to  be  treated 
as  the  personages  of  the  greatest  importance  on  social  occasions  as 
well  as  on  religious. 

40.  they  which  devour  widows'  houses.  Widows  were 
under  the  protection  of  the  Law  (Exod.  xxii.  22),  and  the  scribes, 
as  the  custodians  and  interpreters  of  the  Law,  were  specially  bound 
to  care  for  them.  The  guilt  of  these  scribes  in  enriching  them- 
selves, no  doubt  under  legal  forms,  at  the  cost  of  the  solitary  and 
defenceless  ones  who  trusted  them,  was  all  the  greater. 

and  for  a  pretence  make  long-  prayers.  They  hid  their 
real  character  under  a  profession  of  extraordinary  piety,  and 
under  colour  of  being  men  more  given  to  prayer  than  others 
practised  their  greed}'  and  dishonest  arts. 

Ostentation,  ambition,  pride,  avarice— these  were  the  sins  that 
brought  judgement  on  the  scribes,  and  the  heavier  judgement 
because  all  was  done  under  the  cloak  of  hypocrisy.  The  man  who 
lives  for  avarice  and  ambition  has  his  condemnation.  The  man 
who  does  this  under  the  cover  of  a  loud  religious  profession  has 
the  greater  condemnation. 

xii.  41-44.      The  Widow's  Offering  :  cf.  Luke  xxi.  1-4. 

41.  he  sat  down.  Jesus  had  left  the  court  of  the  Gentiles  in 
which  he  had  been  teaching  and  answering  ensnaring  questions, 
and  had  passed  into  the  court  of  the  women.  Here  he  seated 
himself,  weary  no  doubt  with  what  he  had  had  to  do.  on  the  steps 
or  within  the  gate  (where  alone  it  seems  to  have  been  allowable  ; 
see  Edcrsheim's  The  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  ii.  387  ), 
and  watched  the  people  as  they  brought  their  gifts.  Mark's 
narrative  is  characteristically  graphic  all  through.  It  shews  us 
Jesus  seating  himself,  the  exact  position  which  he  took,  the  interest 
with  which  he  watched  the  multitudes  of  various  classes  passing 
him.  the  solitary  figure  of  the  widow  catching  his  attention,  and  his 
call  to  the  disciples. 

over  ag-ainst  the  treasury.  In  the  Apocrypha  mention  is 
made  of  the  sacred  treasury — a  depositor}'  for  the  safe  keeping  not 
only  of  treasure,  but  of  public  records,  and  also  of  the  propert}7  of 
widows  and  orphans  (1  Mace.  xiv.  49;  2  Mace.  iii.  6,  10,  28,  40, 
iv.  4a,  v.  18).      Josephus  also  speaks  of '  treasuries    in  the  court 

U 


290  ST.  MARK   12.  42 

how  the  multitude  cast  money  into  the  treasury :    and 

42  many  that  were  rich  cast  in   much.     And  there  came 

a  poor  widow,  and  she  cast  in  two  mites,  which  make 


of  the  women  in  Herod's  temple  (Jewish  War,  v.  v.  2,  vi.  v.  2), 
and  of'  the  treasury  '  (Antiq.  xix.  vi.  1).  Here  the  name  'treasury' 
appears  to  be  given  to  that  part  of  the  court  of  the  women  (a  court 
large  enough,  it  is  said,  to  accommodate  more  than  15,000  people") 
in  which  provision  was  made  for  receiving  the  contributions  of  the 
worshippers.  Under  the  colonnades  were  placed  thirteen  boxes, 
which  were  called  the  '  trumpets,'  because  of  their  trumpet- 
shaped  mouths,  into  which  offerings  in  money  were  dropped. 
(Cf.  Luke  xxi.  1,  and  also  John  viii.  20.)  Of  these,  according 
to  Lightfoot  {Horce  Hcbr.  et  Talm.,  p.  536,  &c),  'nine  chests 
were  for  the  appointed  temple-tribute,  and  for  the  sacrifice-tribute, 
that  is,  money-gifts  instead  of  the  sacrifices  ;  four  chests  for 
free-will  offerings,  for  wood,  incense,  temple  decoration,  and  burnt- 
offerings.' 

beheld  how  the  multitude  cast  money.  The  money  would 
be  mostly  the  copper  coins  which  'the  masses'  handled.  Luke 
says  Jesus  'looked  up'  (xx.  1),  that  is,  from  the  floor  of  the 
court  or  the  steps  where  he  had  sat  down,  his  attention  being 
caught  by  the  moving  figures,  and  the  dropping  of  the  coins  into 
the  boxes. 

many  that  were  rich  cast  in  much.  It  became  so  much 
the  fashion  to  give  lavishly  that  a  law  had  to  be  enacted,  we  are 
told,  forbidding  the  gift  to  the  temple  of  more  than  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  one's  possessions.  And  the  amount  of  such  contributions 
may  be  inferred  b}^  '  recalling  the  circumstance  that,  at  the  time 
of  Pompey  and  Crassus,  the  temple-treasury,  after  having  lavishly 
defrayed  every  possible  expenditure,  contained  in  money  nearly 
half  a  million,  and  precious  vessels  to  the  value  of  nearly  two 
millions  sterling.'  (Edersheim,  The  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the 
Messiah,  ii.  p.  388.) 

42.  And  there  came  a  poor  widow.  '  One  poor  widow,'  as 
the  margin  of  the  R.  V.  puts  it.  A  single,  solitary,  sorrowful, 
poverty-stricken  figure,  lost  in  the  passing  crowds,  but  filling  the 
Master's  eye. 

two  mites,  which  make  a  farthing*.  The  '  mite '  was  a  small 
copper  coin,  the  smallest  Jewish  coin  indeed,  in  value  making  half 
a  Roman  quadrans  (as  Mark  explains  to  his  Gentile  readers),  the 
eighth  of  an  as,  or  the  eightieth  part  of  the  denarius  or  shilling, 
which  made  the  day's  wage  of  a  labourer.  It  would  take  about 
ten  of  these  mites  to  make  one  of  our  pennies.  The  widow  had  but 
two  of  these  trifling  coins,  and  she  parted  with  both.     There  was 


ST.  MARK   12.  4?— 13.  i  291 

1  farthing.     And  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples,  and  4?. 
said  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  poor  widow 
cast  in  more  than  all   they  which  are  casting  into   the 
treasury  :  for  they  all  did  cast  in  of  their  superfluity  ;  but  44 
she  of  her  want  did  cast  in  all  that  she  had,  even  all  her 
living. 

And  as  he  went  forth  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  13 
disciples  saith  unto  him,  Master,  behold,  what  manner 

a  Rabbinical  rule  forbidding  an  offering  so  meagre  as  a  single 
mite.  But  that  referred  to  the  case  of  almsgiving,  and  is  not  in 
point  here. 

43.  called  ...  his  disciples.  He  would  have  them  together  again 
and  near  him,  so  that  all  might  hear  the  lesson  suggested  by  this 
incident.  And  lie  gives  them  to  understand  its  importance  for 
themselves  by  prefacing  it  with  the  solemn  words,  'Verily  I  say 
unto  you.' 

cast  in  more  than  all  they.  In  this  case  the  poor  giver, 
he  wished  them  to  understand,  was  the  princely  giver — a  more 
liberal  contributor  than  the  whole  multitude  of  the  others. 

44.  of  their  superfluity.  . .  she  of  her  want.  The  circumstances 
of  the  case  explain  the  judgement.  All  the  others  gave  out  of  their 
abundance,  and  their  gift  was  limited  to  what  they  could  easily 
spare.  She  gave  out  of  her  penurj',  and  her  gift  consisted  of  all 
that  she  had — '  even  all  her  living,'  all  that  she  had  for  her  support 
at  the  time.  The  giver,  not  the  gift  ;  the  measure  of  the  self- 
sacrifice,  not  the  amount  of  the  contribution — that  is  the  Divine 
standard  of  appraisement. 

xiii.  1-2.  Announcement  of  the  Destruction  of  the  Temple  :  cf. 
Matt.  xxiv.  i-a  ;  Luke  xxi.  5-6. 

1.  as  he  went  forth  out  of  the  temple.  The  work  of  another 
day  being  finished,  he  was  again  leaving  the  temple  courts,  and, 
as  we  may  infer,  turning  towards  Bethany.  It  is  probable  that 
the  visit  of  the  Greeks  recorded  by  John  (xii.  20-36)  took  place 
immediately  before  this  departure  from  the  temple.  These  Greeks 
could  not  enter  the  court  of  the  women.  This  explains  perhaps 
their  request  to  see  Jesus.  In  the  outer  court  they  might  see 
him  ,  but  they  could  not  pass  beyond  that. 

one  of  his  disciples.  He  is  not  named,  but  he  may  have 
beer  Peter,  the  usual  spokesman,  or  Andrew. 

behold,  what  manner  of  stones  and  what  manner  of  build- 
ing .  I  The  Herodian  temple  was  of  extraordinary  magnificence 
and  architectural  grandeur.  The  blocks  of  which  it  was  built  were 
of  a  magnitude  that  staggers  the  modern  Western  mind.    Josephus 

U    2 


292  ST.  MARK   13.   2,  3 

2  of  stones  and  what  manner  of  buildings !  And  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  Seest  thou  these  great  buildings?  there 
shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  which  shall 
not  be  thrown  down. 

3  And  as  he  sat  on  the  mount  of  Olives  over  against  the 


speaks  of  the  stones  of  part  of  it  as  being  '  each  in  length  twenty- 
five  cubits,  in  height  eight,  in  breadth  about  twelve'  (Antiq.  xv. 
xi.  3),  and  of  some  of  them  as  being  'forty-five  cubits  in  length, 
five  in  height,  and  six  in  breadth '  {Jewish  War,  v.  v.  6).  It  was 
not  strange  that  the  disciples,  as  they  were  leaving  it  now  and 
looked  upon  its  glories,  called  the  Master's  attention  to  its  mass 
and  splendour,  the  stupendous  blocks  of  marble  of  which  it  was 
built,  the  grandeur  of  its  various  parts,  its  courts  and  gates  and 
colonnades  and  the  votive  offerings  (the  'gifts'  of  Luke  xxi.  5), 
such  as  the  golden  vine  presented  by  Herod  the  Great,  with 
which  it  was  enriched.  Their  action  may  have  been  prompted 
by  something  just  said  by  Jesus,  perhaps  by  his  lament  over 
Jerusalem  and  the  words  about  the  desolation  of  the  house  with 
which,  according  to  Matthew's  Gospel  (xxiii.  37-39),  he  closed 
his  denunciations  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 

2.  Seest  thou  these  great  buildings?  Did  the  speaker's  eye 
rest  with  pride  and  wonder  on  the  structure  that  made  Jerusalem 
famous  over  the  world  ?  It  was  to  gaze  upon  a  different  spectacle 
shortly. 

there  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another. 
Some  of  the  great  stones  of  the  underbuilding  yet  remain.  But 
of  the  structure  on  which  the  disciples  now  looked  nothing  is  left 
standing.  The  destruction  that  has  overtaken  the  great  temples 
of  ancient  Egypt  is  less  utter  by  far  than  is  the  case  with  the 
temple  of  the  Jews.  When  Titus  captured  Jerusalem  he  left 
the  work  of  demolition  to  be  completed  by  the  tenth  legion,  and 
it  was  done  so  thoroughly  that  '  no  one  visiting  the  city,1  says 
Josephus,  '  would  believe  it  had  ever  been  inhabited  '  (Jewish  War. 
vii.  i.  1).  Jesus  took  up  the  announcement  of  ancient  prophecy 
which  declared  that  Zion  was  to  be  '  plowed  as  a  field,'  and 
Jerusalem  to  'become  heaps,  and  the  mountain  of  the  house  as  he 
high  places  of  a  forest '  (Mic.  iii.  12),  and  in  forty  years  after  he 
spoke  his  word  was  fulfilled  to  the  letter. 

xiii.  3-13.  The  Questions  of  four  of  the  Twelve,  and  the  Answer 
of  Jesus:  cf.  Matt.  xxiv.  3-14;  Luke  xxi.  8-19. 

3.  as  he  sat  on  the  mount  of  Olives.  On  his  way  to  Bet,  ny 
Jesus  had  now  crossed  the  Kidron  and  got  to  the  top  of  the  sp 
path  up  the  mount  of  Olives.     Here  he  paused  and  sat  do\  in  to 


ST.  MARK   13.  4-6  293 

temple,  Peter  and  James  and  John  and  Andrew  asked 
him  privately,  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be?  and  4 
what  shall  be  the  sign  when  these  things  are  all  about 
to  be  accomplished  ?    And  Jesus  began  to  say  unto  them,  5 
Take  heed  that  no  man  lead  you  astray.     Many  shall  6 
come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am  he ;  and  shall  lead  many 

rest,  vith  the  temple  full  in  his  view.  Seen  from  this  position 
the  magnificent  structure  so  splendidly  placed  must  have  been  a 
gr      i  and  glorious  spectacle. 

.  sked  him  privately.  Four  of  the  Twelve  come  up  to  him 
as  he  sits  <  whether  acting  of  themselves  or  chosen  for  the  purpose 
by  their  brethren  is  not  explained  ,  and  apart  from  the  rest 
S  certain  questions  to  him.  They  are  the  two  pairs  of 
brothers  who  were  the  first  called,  and  they  are  named  in  the 
order  in  which  they  appear  in  the  record  of  the  selection  and 
ordination  of  the  apostles. 

4.  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be?  The  questions  were 
suggested  by  what  Jesus  had  just  said  of  the  overthrow  of  the 
massive  buildings  on  which  they  had  been  looking.  The  first 
of  the  two  questions  was  about  the  time  when  'these  things' 
(Ihat  is,  the  predicted  destruction  of  the  temple)  were  to  come 
about.  The  second  question  was  about  'the  sign,' some  visible 
portent  or  signal  which  they  expected  to  be  given  and  by  which 
they  might  know  the  events  in  question  to  be  near.  They  speak 
as  if  only  one  sign,  a  definite  and  unmistakable  token,  was  in 
their  thoughts.  Matthew  represents  the  questions  as  touching 
not  only  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  but  Christ's  own  '  coming  * 
and  the  i  end  of  the  world,'  or  '  consummation  of  the  age  '  (xxiv.  3). 
The  nearer  event  is  thus  taken  as  coincident  with  the  remoter, 
and  the  one  is  regarded  as  included  in  the  other. 

5.  Take  heed  that  no  man  lead  you  astray.  In  his  reply, 
Jesus  has  regard  first  to  the  question  about  the  sign.  But  he 
mentions  no  single  sign  such  as  the  four  spoke  of.  And  before  he 
addresses  himself  to  either  question  he  delivers  a  solemn  caution, 
one  which  he  also  repeats  as  he  proceeds,  to  the  questioners 
themselves.  Their  first  necessity  was  to  look  to  themselves  and 
their  own  peril— a  peril  against  which  they  might  be  helpless 
if  their  minds  were  taken  up  by  questions  about  times  and  signs. 
That  was  the  danger  of  being  beguiled  and  '  led  astray  '  by  preten- 
tious, religious  impostors. 

6.  many  shall  come  in  my  name.  The  possibility  of  being 
seduced  from  their  faith— that  is  the  first  thing  on  which  they 
require  instruction  and  forewarning.  And  the  danger  was  great, 
because  in  these  searching  and  calamitous  titncb  there  would  be 


294  ST.  MARK   13.  7,8 

7  astray.  And  when  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours 
of  wars,  be  not  troubled :  these  things  must  needs  come 

8  to  pass ;  but  the  end  is  not  yet.  For  nation  shall  rise 
against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom  :  there  shall 
be  earthquakes  in  divers  places  ;  there  shall  be  famines : 
these  things  are  the  beginning  of  travail. 

many  false  teachers,  who  would  come  '  saying,  I  am  he?  that  is, 
claiming  to  be  the  Messiah.  Josephus  speaks  more  than  once 
of  such  false  prophets  and  impostors,  and  mentions  one  by  name — 
Theudas  (Antiq.  xx.  v.  1  ;  Jewish  War,  ii.  xiii.  4).  The  case  of 
Simon  Magus,  who  gave  himself  out  to  be  '  some  great  one '  and 
was  taken  by  the  Samaritan  multitude  to  be  '  that  power  of  God 
which  is  called  Great1  (Acts  viii.  9,  10),  is  also  in  point. 

7.  wars  and  rumours  of  wars.  Times  of  unrest  and  political 
commotion  were  before  them.  In  point  of  fact,  during  the  thirty 
or  forty  years  preceding  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  the  Holy  Land  was 
in  a  peculiarly  unsettled  condition.  It  was  a  period  of  risings, 
riots,  and  deepening  conflict  with  the  Roman  power. 

be  not  troubled  :  these  things  must  needs  come  to  pass. 
They  were  not  to  take  these  things  as  the  sign  of  the  end  or 
become  disquieted  by  them.  Such  commotions  were  only  in  the 
natural  course  of  things — things  that  in  the  Divine  purpose  have 
to  come,  and  things  that  may  come  at  any  time  in  the  present 
condition  of  the  world. 

8.  for  nation  shall  rise  against  nation.  In  spite  of  these 
wars  and  rumours  of  wars  the  end  will  not  be  yet,  and  for  the 
reason  that  there  are  other  things  which  must  happen  before  that  — 
struggles  among  the  nations,  earthquakes,  famines.  Luke  adds 
4  pestilences,'  and  '  terrors  and  great  signs  from  heaven'  (xxi.  11). 
Notice  the  sententiousness  of  Mark's  statement,  'there  shall  be 
earthquakes  in  divers  places  ;  there  shall  be  famines.'  Compare 
the  terms  in  which  both  in  O.  T.  prophecy  and  in  the  non-canonical 
Apocalypses  announcements  of  judicial  visitations  of  God  are  given 
(e.  g.  Isa.  viii.  21  ;  Jer.  xxiii.  19  ;  Ezek.  v.  12  :  Book  0/ Enoch,  i.  6 ; 
4  Esdras  xvi.  36-40).  In  Acts  xi.  28  reference  is  made  to  the 
prophecy  of  famine  '  signified  b3^  the  Spirit '  by  Agabus,  and  its 
fulfilment  in  the  time  of  Claudius. 

these  things  are  the  beginning  of  travail.  Such  political 
convulsions  and  national  disasters  are  not  to  be  taken  for  the 
'  end'  itself.  They  are,  however,  '  the  beginning  of  travail ' — the 
pangs  by  which  the  new  order  of  things,  '  the  regeneration ' 
(Matt.  xix.  28)  will  be  ushered  in.  This  word  'travail'  is  of  rare 
occurrence  in  the  N.  T.     In  its  literal  sense  it  is  used  in  1  Thess. 


ST.   MARK   13.  9,  10  295 

But  take  ye  heed  to  yourselves  :  for  they  shall  deliver    9 
you  up  to  councils  ;  and  in  synagogues  shall  ye  be  beaten  ; 
and  before  governors  and  kings  shall  ye  stand  for  my  sake, 
for  a  testimony  unto  them.     And  the  gospel  must  first  be  10 

v.  3  ;  in  a  figurative  sense  it  is  found  here,  in  Matt.  xxiv.  8,  and 
(with  reference  to  death  in  Acts  ii.  24.  Cf.  also  Paul's  description 
of  the  whole  creation  as  travailing  in  pain  together  until  now, 
waiting  for  the  event  by  which  it  shall  be  'delivered  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption'  ,  Rom.  viii.  21,  22).  In  the  Rabbinical 
literature  mention  is  made  of  the  '  pangs  '  or  '  travails  of  Messiah  ' 
—  the  name  given  to  the  calamities  by  which  the  Advent  of 
Messiah  was  to  be  heralded. 

9.  But  take  ye  heed  to  yourselves.  A  repetition  of  the  caution 
already  given  (xiii.  5N.  but  with  reference  to  another  kind  of  peril. 
False  teachers,  wars,  disasters,  portents — others  might  busy 
themselves  with  these,  and  try  to  discover  'signs'  in  them.  But 
it  should  not  be  so  with  his  disciples.  Their  first  care  should  be 
d  rected  to  themselves  and  the  trials  that  may  shake  their  own 
•     th. 

councils :  lit.  i  Sanhedrins.'     Not  only  the  great  council  of 
;  rusalem,  therefore,  but  also  the  local  councils,  the  bodies  which 
1  the  power  of  discipline  in  Jewish  towns,  judicial  courts  con- 
ing of  the  elders  of  the  synagogues.     Whether  in  the  case  of 
■  Twelve  or  in  that  of  others,  this  announcement  had  not  long 
vait  for  its  fulfilment  (Actsiv.  5, 13,  v.  21,  27  ;  vi.  12,  Stephen  ; 
■i.  1,  Paul), 
and   in    synagogues    shall   ye   be   beaten :    or.   '  and    into 
. }     igogues,  ye  shall  be  beaten.'    The  ecclesiastical  courts  proper. 
ach    synagogue   there  was  a  subordinate  official  called    the 
1  •      lister,'  the  Chazzan  who  was  the  servant  of  the  congregation, 
official  had  not  only  to  see  to  the  production  of  the  copy  of 
t1      Scriptures  at  public  worship  and  to  its  removal  again,  but 
also  charged  with  the  duty  of  maintaining  order,  and  had  the 
er  of  scourging.     See  Paul's  case  (2  Cor.  xi.  24). 
governors :    that  is,  rulers  less  than  royal,  the  name  being 
n   in  the  N.  T.  to  the  official  representatives  of  the  Imperial 
r   in   the    provinces — procurators,   proconsuls,  and   the  like 
.  ii.  1  (  ,  anil  specially  to  the  Roman  Procurator  of  Judaea 
t.  xxvii.  2). 

kings:  supreme  rulers,  whether  kings  of  particular  states 
«  dinan  Coesars.  Paul  had  to  stand  before  the  governors  Felix 
m  .  Festus.  before  the  king  Agrippa  (Acts  xxvi.  1-32),  and  before 
the  emperor  Nero  (2  Tim.  iv.  16). 

for  a  testimony  unto  them.     To  bear  witness  for  Christ — 


296  ST.  MARK    13.   ii,  13 

11  preached  unto  all  the  nations.  And  when  they  lead  you 
to  judgement,  and  deliver  you  up,  be  not  anxious  before- 
hand what  ye  shall  speak :  but  whatsoever  shall  be  given 
you  in  that  hour,  that  speak  ye :    for  it  is  not  ye  that 

12  speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost.     And  brother  shall  deliver 

there  was  the  Divine  purpose  of  the  providence  which  permitted 
them  to  be  dragged  before  these  various  tribunals,  Jewish  and 
Roman.  Luke  gives  the  other  side  of  this  purpose — '  It  shall  turn 
unto  you  for  a  testimony '  (xxi.  13). 

10.  And  the  gospel  must  first  be  preached  unto  all  the 
nations.  The  world-wide  extension  of  the  '  glad  tidings '  must 
precede  the  '  end.'  This,  too,  is  in  the  Divine  purpose — it  \  must,' 
there  is  a  moral  necessity  for  it.  Even  before  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  Paul  could  say  that  *  from  Jerusalem,  and  round  about 
even  unto  Illyricum  '  he  had  '  fully  preached  the  gospel  of  Christ ' 
(Rom.  xv.  19),  and  that  his  mission  took  him  next  to  the  far  west, 
into  Spain  (Rom.  xv.  24,  28). 

11.  anxious  beforehand:    an  expressive  word,  of  which  this 
is  the  one  occurrence  in  the  N.  T.     It  conveys  the  idea  of  the  dis- 
traction caused  by  anxiety  about  what  may  happen  or  what  ou_  1 
to  be  done.     The  Master  knew  how  his  disciples  would  be  fillca1 
with  natural  fears  when  thej'were  called  to  answer  for  themselv 
before  these  judicial  tribunals,  especially  the  unfamiliar  courts 
which  the  dreaded  Roman  authorities  sat.    He  arms  them  again. .t 
these  distractions  by  giving  them  the  assurance  of  Divine  he  p 
to  meet  exceptional  trials   of  their  mental  resources  and  their 
courage. 

it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost.  When  the 
time  to  make  their  defence  came,  the  Spirit  of  God  would  be  their 
spokesman  or  give  them  what  they  ought  to  say — the  matter  and 
the  words  alike.  In  Luke  this  assurance  is  given  in  more  par- 
ticular terms,  recalling  the  ancient  promise  to  Moses  (Exod. 
11,  &c.) — 'I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your 
adversaries  shall  not  be  able  to  withstand  or  to  gainsay '  (xxi.  15). 
This  promise  of  special  help  is  given  not  with  a  view  to  ordinary 
circumstances,  but  with  reference  to  the  exceptional  case  of 
appearances  before  governors  and  kings.  Their  Inspirer  and 
Advocate  is  alternatively  Jesus  himself,  as  in  Luke,  or  '  the  Holy 
Ghost'  as  in  Mark.  In  ancient  Jewish  prophecy  the  possession 
of  the  spirit  of  God,  the  spirit  of  the  Lord,  was  one  of  the  tokens 
of  the  Messiah  and  the  Messianic  age  (Isa.  xi.  2,  xlii.  1,  lix.  21, 
Ixi.  1;  Mic.  iii.  8;  Joel  ii.  28).  The  term  'holy  spirit'  occurs 
in  the  O.  T.,  but  rarely  (Ps.  Ii.  11  ;  Isa.  lxiii.  io,  11).  It  is  also 
found  in  the  Book  of  Wisdom  (i.  5).     In  the  O.  T.  the  'spirit'  is 


ST.  MARK    13.   13  297 

up  brother  to  death,  and  the  father  his  child;  and  children 
shall  rise  up  against  parents,  and  cause  them  to  be  put  to 
death.     And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's  13 
sake  :  but  he  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be 
saved. 

usually  represented  as  a  power  proceeding  from  God  and  com- 
municated by  Him.  In  the  two  instances  in  which  the  particular 
term  '  holy  spirit '  occurs,  the  meaning  is  larger  and  more 
definite.  In  Ps.  li.  11,  the  'holy  spirit'  appears  as  the  principle 
or  power  of  sanctification  ;  in  Isa.  lxiii.  10,  11  the  'holy  spirit' 
is  a  spirit  in  which  God  acts  in  some  way  personally,  and  that 
is  on  the  way  to  be  conceived  of  as  a  personal  power.  But  we 
have  not  in  the  O.  T.  the  full  and  definite  doctrine  of  the  personal 
Spirit  of  God  that  is  contained  in  the  great  N.  T.  phrase  'the 
Holy  Spirit'  or  'Holy  Ghost,1  and  has  so  large  a  place  in  the 
distinctive  teaching  of  the  N.  T. 

12.  brother  shall  deliver  up  brother.  Terrors  of  consti- 
tuted authorities  are  not  the  worst  they  have  to  face.  They  will 
suffer  from  the  more  bitter  and  insidious  persecution  of  friends, 
from  the  cruel  treacheries  even  of  those  related  to  them  by  the 
closest  ties  of  nature. 

and  cause  them  to  be  put  to  death  :  the  margin  of  the  R.  V. 
puts  it  simply  and  directly,  '  put  them  to  death.'  But  the  idea 
seems  to  be  '  shall  work  their  death,'  and  it  is  well  expressed  by  the 
Rhemish  Version.  In  the  Jewish  councils  they  had  scourging  to 
fear.  But  when  they  came  into  the  hands  of  the  Roman  authorities 
they  should  have  to  look  for  the  death  penalty. 

13.  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's  sake.  These 
words  are  given  in  all  three  Gospels,  and  without  variation.  They 
mean  not  only  that  the  disciples  shall  be  hated,  but  that  they 
shall  continue  to  be  hated.  Their  first  and  last  offence,  the 
thing  that  shall  constantly  count  against  them  beyond  all  else, 
will  be  the  fact  that  they  are  Christians.  In  Peter's  Epistle  to 
the  scattered  Asiatic  churches  we  already  hear  of  suffering  '  as 
a  Christian''  (i  Pet.  iv.  i6N;.  The  early  Christian  writers  speak, 
one  after  another,  of  suffering  '  for  his  name '  (Polycarp,  Epistle  to 
Philippians.  8),  of  'the  name'  being  taken  as  sufficient  evidence 
against  one  (Justin  Martyr,  Apot.  i.  4),  of  'the  confession  of 
the  name '  being  the  one  thing  needed  to  bring  public  odium 
on  one  (Tertull.  Apol.  2). 

he  that  endureth  to  the  end.  The  phrase  '  to  the  end ' 
here  docs  not  refer  to  the  crisis  of  the  end,  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  or  the  end  of  things,  of  which  the  four  had  spoken. 
It   describeo   the  completeness  of  the  endurance — an   endurance 


298  ST.  MARK   13.   14 

14      But  when  ye  see  the  abomination  of  desolation  standing 

sustained  all  through.  The  endurance  in  question  also  is  not  the 
passive  virtue  of  patience,  in  our  sense  of  bearing  things  without 
murmur  or  resistance,  but  the  manlier  and  more  positive  grace 
of  perseverance  or  steadfastness.  This  grace  has  a  large  place  in 
the  N.T.,  most  especially  in  the  Epistles  of  Paul  and  the  Book 
of  Revelation  (Jas.  i.  3,  4 ;  1  Pet.  ii.  20  ;  Heb.  xii.  1  ;  Rom.  v.  3, 
&c,  viii.  25  ;  1  Thess.  i.  3  ;  2  Thess.  i.  4,  iii.  5  ;  Rev.  i.  9,  ii.  2,  3, 
ill.  10,  xiii.  10,  &c).  Josephus  uses  it  of  the  indomitable  constancy 
of  the  heroes  of  the  Maccabean  struggle  (Antiq.  xii.  vi.  7).  Luke 
gives  this  part  of  our  Lord's  caution  a  notable  turn — '  In  your 
patience  ye  shall  win  your  souls '  (or,  '  lives,'  xxi.  19). 

xiii.  14-23.  The  Sign  of  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem  :  cf.  Matt.  xxiv. 
15-25  ;  Luke  xxi.  20-24. 

14.  But  when  ye  see  the  abomination  of  desolation.  From 
these  personal  warnings  Jesus  proceeds  to  speak  next  of  the 
event  in  which  they  may  see  the  real  '  sign '  of  the  end.  Wars 
and  rumours  of  wars  in  connexion  with  other  parts  of  the  earth 
are  not  to  be  made  too  much  of.  But  when  these  touch  the  Holy 
City  they  become  significant.  The  '  abomination  of  desolation  ' 
is  '  the  abomination  that  causes  desolation.'  This  expressive  term 
'abomination'  occurs  some  half-dozen  times  in  the  N.  T.  (Matt. 
xxiv.  15  ;  Mark  xiii.  14  ;  Luke  xvi.  15  ;  Rev.  xvii.  4,  5,  xxi.  27). 
In  the  O.  T.  it  is  used  specially  of  things  belonging  to  idolatrous 
worship,  e.g.  to  idols  (Deut.  xxix.  17),  to  false  gods  (Ezek.  vii. 
20).  to  Milcom  in  particular,  'the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites' 
(1  Kings  xi.  5),  to  the  horrid  rites  of  the  heathen  practised  by  Ahaz 
(2  Kings  xvi.  3).  The  precise  phrase  'the  abomination  of  desolation  ' 
here  used  by  our  Lord  is  one  that  occurs  thrice  in  the  Book  of  Daniel 
(ix.  27,  xi.  31,  xii.  11)  ;  and  that  the  Danielic  passage  is  in  view  here 
is  expressly  stated  by  Matthew,  who  adds  the  words  '  which  was 
spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet'  (xxiv.  15).  What  is  to  be  under- 
stood by  the  phrase  ?  In  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  it  probably  refers 
to  the  outrages  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the  Syrian  conqueror,  and 
particularly  to  the  desecration  of  the  temple  by  placing  a  heathen 
altar  upon  the  altar  of  burnt-offering.  In  the  Apocryphal  literature 
it  is  quoted  in  connexion  with  the  erection  of  an  altar  to  Jove  in 
the  temple  (r  Mace.  i.  54).  But  here  it  is  applied  to  the  desecration 
of  the  Holy  City  and  the  temple  by  Rome.  For  Luke  gives  this 
as  an  equivalent  statement — '  when  ye  see  Jerusalem  compassed 
with  armies,  then  know  that  her  desolation  is  at  hand '  (xxi.  20). 
The  Roman  eagles  were  objects  of  detestation  as  well  as  terror 
to  the  Jew,  because  they  bore  the  effigy  of  the  emperor  and  had 
sacrifice  offered  to  them  by  the  soldiery.  The  Roman  armies 
holding  the  Holy  Cit3T  in  their  heathen  grasp,  the  Roman  eagles 


ST.  MARK    13.   15-17  299 

where  he  ought  not  (let  him  that  readeth  understand), 
then  let  them  that  are  in  Judrea  flee  unto  the  mountains  : 
and  let  him  that  is  on  the  housetop  not  go  down,  nor  15 
enter  in,  to  take  anything  out  of  his  house :  and  let  him  16 
that  is  in  the  field  not  return  back  to  take  his  cloke.     But  17 

lifted  over  the  site  of  the  temple  itself— these  were  '  the  abomination 
of  desolation.'  The  R.  V.  adopts  the  reading  'standing  where  he 
ought  not,'  instead  of  '  where  it  ought  not ' — a  reading  which  re- 
presents the  '  abomination  ?  as  personal — concentrated  in  the  Roman 
soldiery  or  in  the  Roman  leader.  When  this  personal  embodi- 
ment of  idolatrous,  heathen  power  was  seen  there,  'standing 
where  he  ought  not,'  that  is,  within  the  precincts  of  the  temple, 
the  'sign  '  of  the  rapidly  approaching  '  end  '  was  to  be  recognized, 
and  the  disciples  could  not  too  soon  prepare  for  it.  Josephus 
states  that  the  Romans  brought  their  ensigns  into  the  temple, 
and  placed  them  over  against  the  eastern  gate,  and  he  adds  that 
'there  they  offered  sacrifices  to  them,  and  with  the  loudest 
acclamations  proclaimed  Titus  emperor'  (Jewish  War,  vi.  vi.  1). 

let  him  that  readeth  understand.  This  parenthetical 
sentence  is  thrown  in  by  the  Evangelist  himself,  or  it  may  be 
by  the  compiler  of  a  collection  of  the  Lord's  words  used  by  Mark 
in  the  composition  of  his  Gospel,  with  the  view  of  calling  special 
attention  to  this  significant  sentence  of  the  prophetic  discourse — 
the  sentence  that  indicates  the  i  sign '  required. 

let  them  that  are  in  Judtea  flee.  Flight,  instant  flight 
without  tarrying  or  looking  back,  would  then  be  the  first  duty  of 
the  whole  Judean  people,  not  of  the  apostles  only.  The  Christian 
Jews,  we  know,  did  take  flight  to  Pella  in  Peraea,  one  of  the 
towns  of  Decapolis,  between  Gerasa  and  Hippos.  That  was  a 
flight  of  about  100  miles,  which  took  the  fugitives  across  the  hills 
of  Judaea  and  Moab.  Eusebius  says  that  this  step  was  taken  in 
accordance  with  the  warning  of  a  prophetic  oracle  given  to  the 
Christians  of  Jerusalem  before  the  war  began  (Eccles.  Hist.  iii. 
v.  3^. 

15.  on  the  housetop.  The  roofs  of  Eastern  houses,  which 
were  much  frequented  by  the  family,  being  used  for  purposes  of 
sleep,  watching,  prayer,  worship,  &c.  (cf.  1  Sam.  ix.  25  ;  Neh.  viii. 
16;  Isa.  xxii.  1;  Jer.  xix.  13;  Zeph.  i.  5;  Acts  x.  9),  were 
reached  by  a  flight  of  steps  from  without.  In  quitting  them  there 
was  no  need  to  go  within  the  house,  and  the  fugitive  in  this  great 
peril  was  not  safe  to  do  so — not  even  with  the  view  of  taking  any 
of  his  goods  with  him, 

16.  to  take  his  cloke.  The  labourer  might  be  overtaken  by  this 
desolation  when   he  was  at  work  in  the  fields,  and  if  he  would 


300  ST.  MARK    13.   18-20 

woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child  and  to  them  that  give 

18  suck  in  those  days  !    And  pray  ye  that  it  be  not  in  the 

19  winter.     For  those  days  shall  be  tribulation,  such  as  there 
hath  not  been  the  like  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation 

20  which  God  created  until  now,  and  never  shall  be.     And 
except  the  Lord  had  shortened  the  days,  no  flesh  would 


escape  he  could  not  risk  the  loss  of  time  involved  even  in  the 
simple  act  of  picking  up  his  outer  garment,  which  he  had  taken  off 
when  he  set  himself  to  his  task. 

18.  not  in  the  winter  :  when  rain  and  cold  and  storm  would 
make  escape  so  much  more  difficult.  Matthew  adds  i  neither  on 
a  sabbath'  (xxiv.  20).  The  Jew  was  forbidden  to  travel  on  the 
sabbath  beyond  a  prescribed  limit,  a  sabbath-day's  journey,  a 
distance  of  about  2,000  ells.  Even  if  Christian  Jews  overcame 
their  scruples  in  that  matter,  they  would  suffer  from  the  opposition 
of  their  strict  fellow  countrymen.  When  the  crisis  came  in  a.d.  69- 
70  the  Romans  encircled  the  city  in  October — a  season  sufficiently 
good  for  travel.  The  decisive  operations  of  the  siege  were  carried 
through  some  six  months  later,  in  a  part  of  the  year  which  was 
still  more  favourable. 

19.  Por  those  days  shall  be  tribulation.  A  strong  and  signi- 
ficant description  of  the  terrors  of  that  fateful  time — the  days 
themselves  would  be  one  long  tribulation.  Josephus  speaks  of 
the  miseries  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  as  surpassing  the  '  misfor- 
tunes of  all  men  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,'1  and  draws  a 
harrowing  picture  of  the  densely  crowded  city,  smitten  by  the 
engines  of  war,  rent  by  sedition,  scourged  by  pestilence  and 
famine  ;  of  its  houses  and  streets  filled  with  multitudes  of  the  dead 
too  vast  to  be  removed  ;  of  the  barbarities  daily  enacted  in  it,  the 
atrocities  of  remorseless  assassins  who  stalked  through  it ;  of  its 
miserable  and  famished  inhabitants  ground  to  the  dust  by  cruel 
hunger  and  all  manner  of  violence  and  wretchedness,  until  they 
became  so  dead  to  the  instincts  of  humanity  that  mothers  snatched 
the  food  out  of  the  mouths  of  husbands  and  children.  Six  hun- 
dred corpses  were  thrown  over  the  wall  (Josephus,  Jewish  War, 
vi.  ix.  3). 

20.  except  the  Lord  had  shortened  the  days.  That  is,  in  His 
own  Divine  counsel.  We  know  from  history  that  the  siege  began 
early  in  the  year  70  a.  d.  ;  that  decisive  operations  against  the 
section  of  the  city  containing  the  temple  were  commenced  in 
May  ;  that  the  tower  of  Antonia  was  taken  on  June  11  ;  that  the 
temple  was  fired  on  July  15  ;  that  Titus  entered  the  city  about 
September  12;  and  that  the  destruction  of  life  during  these  months 


ST.   MARK    13.   ar,  22  301 

have  been   saved  :    but   for  the  elect's  sake,  whom   he 
chose,  he  shortened  the  days.     And  then   if  any  man  21 
shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is  the  Christ ;  or,  Lo,  there ; 
believe  it  not :  for  there  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  22 


was  so  great  that  if  the  time  had  been  prolonged  none  would  have 
been  left  alive.  According  to  Josephus  97,000  of  the  besieged 
actually  survived  all  these  horrors.  But  over  1, 100.000  perished 
(Jewish  War,  v.  iii.  1,  vi.  viii.  4,  vi.  ix.  3). 

but  for  the  elect's  sake,  whom  he  chose,  he  shortened  the 
days.  Josephus  speaks  of  Titus  as  fired  with  a  great  eagerness 
to  bring  the  siege  to  an  end,  and  tells  us  how  in  three  days  he  sur- 
rounded the  city  with  a  wall  five  miles  long  and  planted  with 
strong  garrisons.  By  these  human  instrumentalities,  the  vast 
energy  of  the  besiegers  and  the  infatuations  of  the  besieged.  God 
fulfilled  His  counsel  in  the  shortening  of  the  days,  and  did  this  for 
the  elect's  sake.  This  great  term  of  grace  'the  elect'  is  not  to  be 
thinned  down  into  a  mere  equivalent  for  the  righteous.  The  '  elect,' 
indeed,  are  the  good  men  in  the  nation,  but  they  are  more  than 
that — they  are  those  whom  God  '  chose  ! — the  objects  of  His  choice 
and  recognition  in  His  eternal  purpose.  The  word  has  a  great 
history  in  Scripture  and  a  great  place  in  the  vocabulary  of  grace. 
In  the  O.  T.  it  designates  those  whom  God  has  placed  in  a  peculiar 
relation  to  Himself,  the  covenant-people  generally,  or  the  true 
Israel  who  are  according  to  His  purpose  (Ps.  cv.  6  ;  Isa.  xlii.  1  ; 
xliii.  20,  lxv.  9).  In  the  N.  T.  it  means  God's  chosen  ones,  the 
select  ones  from  among  the  '  called.' as  in  the  Gospels,  or,  as  in  the 
Epistles,  those  foreknown  and  predestinated  by  God  and  therefore 
called  (Rom.  viii.  29,  30),  those  elect  absolutely  ("Rom.  viii.  33),  the 
'  elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father.'  that  is, 
the  elect  whose  choice  out  of  the  world  has  its  foundation  in 
the  Divine  foreknowledge  (1  Pet.  i.  1,  2). 

22.  false  Christs  and  false  prophets.  The  warning  against 
false  teachers  (xiii.  6)  is  now  repeated  in  fuller  and  more  definite 
terms.  The  time  of  the  '  end  '  is  to  be  marked  bj*  the  emergence 
of  religious  impostors  and  deceivers  assuming  to  be  prophets  and 
Messiahs.  The  'false  Christ'  or  pseudo-Messiah  is  one  who 
pretends  to  be  Messiah,  as  distinguished  from  the  'antichrist.'  the 
enemy  of  Christ,  of  whom  John  writes  (1  John  ii.  22.  iv.  3; 
2  John  7).  The  '  false  prophets,'  not  unknown  in  O.  T.  times 
(Zech.  xiii.  2  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  i\  were  a  more  frequent  phenomenon 
than  the  'false  Christs'  in  N.  T.  times,  as  we  see  by  the  case 
of  Bar-jesus  (Acts  xiii.  6)  and  the  statement  of  John  f  t  John  iv.  2). 
That  they  existed  and  constituted  a  source  of  danger  and  confusion 
in  the  primitive  Church  appears  from  what  is  said  in  the  earliest 


302  ST.  MARK    13.  23,  24 

prophets,  and  shall  shew  signs  and  wonders,  that  they 

23  may  lead  astray,  if  possible,  the  elect.     But  take  ye  heed  : 
behold,  I  have  told  you  all  things  beforehand. 

24  But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation,  the  sun  shall 

Christian  literature  {Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  11).  In  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  Jesus  had  already  charged  his  disciples  to 
{  beware  of  false  prophets/  and  had  described  them  in  scathing 
terms  as  coming  to  the  unwary  '  in  sheep's  clothing  '  while  inwardly 
they  were  '  ravening  wolves  '  (Matt.  vii.  15s). 

shall  shew  signs  and  wonders.  This  is  an  element  of 
greater  danger,  not  noticed  in  the  case  of  the  impostors  previously 
referred  to  (xiii.  6).  '  Signs  and  lying  wonders '  are  also  mentioned 
as  part  of  the  working  of  Satan  in  the  '  lawless  one '  who  is  to 
come  before  the  Second  Advent  of  Christ  (2  Thess.  ii.  1-12). 
'  Signs  '  are  things  pointing  beyond  themselves  to  something  else  ; 
'wonders'  are  portents,  phenomena  out  of  the  common  order 
fcf.  Exod.  vii.  11,  22;  also  Deut.  xiii.  1,  xxviii.  46,  xxix.  3,  xxxiv.  11  ; 
Ps.  cxxxv.  9,  &c).  The  miracles  of  our  Lord  are  sometimes 
called  '  wonders  '  in  the  N.  T. ,  especially  in  the  Book  of  Acts  (ii. 
22,  43,  iv.  30,  v.  12,  vi.  8,  xiv.  3,  xv.  12),  but  elsewhere  more 
usually  'signs'  and  '  powers.'  Josephus  reports  how  false  prophets 
arose  who  persuaded  multitudes  to  go  with  them  into  the  desert  to 
see  them  work  signs  and  wonders  there. 

if  possible,  the  elect.  Solemn,  closing  statement  of  the  great- 
ness of  the  peril  from  the  imposing  and  insidious  efforts  of  these 
pseudo-Christs  and  pseudo-prophets.  '  Even  the  elect ! ' — beyond 
that  boldness  and  mad  endeavour  cannot  go. 

23.  But  take  ye  heed.  Third  delivery  of  the  same  personal 
charge. 

xiii.  24-27.  The  End  and  the  Coming  of  the  Son  of  man  \  cf.  Matt. 
xxiv.  29-31  ;  Luke  xxi.  25-28. 

24.  But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation.  The  '  tribula- 
tion,' is  the  '  sign  '  of  the  end.  The  f  end  '  itself  now  becomes  the 
subject,  and  the  vision  of  the  siege  and  fall  of  the  Holy  City  passes 
into  that  of  the  close  of  the  existing  dispensation  and  the  second 
Advent  of  Christ.  In  Luke  there  is  no  note  of  time  to  connect  the 
one  event  with  the  other.  In  Matthew  the  relation  of  the  one  to 
the  other  is  most  definitely  given  as  one  of  immediate  sequence — 
1  immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days.'  In  Mark  that 
relation  is  given  in  more  general  terms.  The  'end,'  marked  by 
the  personal  coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  is  not  to  precede  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  but  to  come  'after  that  tribulation,'  yet  'in 
those  days.'  Even  in  Mark,  therefore,  the  '  end  '  which  is  now  fore- 
told is  described  as  belonging  generally  to  the  same  critical  and 


ST.  MARK   13.  25,  26  303 

be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  25 
the  stars  shall  be  falling  from  heaven,  and  the  powers 
that  are  in  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken.     And  then  shall  26 
they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  clouds  with  great 

momentous  period  in  which  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  order 
takes  place.  The  latter  event  is  given  as  the  prelude  of  the  former, 
the  removal  of  the  old  order  which  prepares  for  the  entrance  of 
the  new. 

the  sun  shall  be  darkened.  This  portent  and  the  others 
which  are  mentioned  belong,  therefore,  to  the  further  '  end '  and 
the  Advent.  The  terms  are  not  to  be  taken  literally  and  particu- 
larly, but  in  a  wide  and  general  sense.  They  are  of  the  same 
order  as  the  large,  imaginative  terms  of  O.  T.  prophecy,  the 
symbolism  of  which  they  follow.  The  O.  T.  prophets  emplo3red 
such  imagery  in  their  announcements  of  judicial  interventions  of 
God  in  the  history  of  nations,  great  political  convulsions,  the  over- 
throw of  kingdoms,  and  exceptional  changes  of  other  kinds,  such 
as  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  in  the  last  days  (Joel  ii.  28-32  ; 
Acts  ii.  16-21).  '  The  stars  of  heaven,'  says  Isaiah,  'and  the  con- 
stellations thereof  shall  not  give  their  light  :  the  sun  shall  be  dark- 
ened in  his  going  forth,  and  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to 
shine  1  (xiii.  10).  This  is  the  prophet's  way  of  declaring  the  certain 
overthrow  of  Babylon.  So  with  the  fall  of  Edom  (xxxiv.  4).  In  the 
same  way,  Amos  speaks  of  the  fall  of  the  northern  kingdom  (viii.  9  . 
And  Ezekiel,  when  he  foretells  the  doom  of  Egypt,  does  it  in  this 
form — '  When  I  shall  extinguish  thee,  I  will  cover  the  heaven,  and 
make  the  stars  thereof  dark  ;  I  will  cover  the  sun  with  a  cloud, 
and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light.  All  the  bright  lights  of 
heaven  will  I  make  dark  over  thee,  and  set  darkness  upon  thy 
land,  saith  the  Lord  God  '  (xxxii.  7,  8).  In  each  case  extraordi- 
nary physical  phenomena,  eclipses,  earthquakes,  and  the  like,  are 
the  figures  of  Divine  acts  effecting  great  changes  in  Church  or  State, 
and  the  terms  are  to  be  interpreted  as  the  language  of  symbolism, 
not  of  literal  fact. 

25.  the  powers  that  are  in  the  heavens.  That  is,  the  heavenly 
bodies  generally,  the  same  as  the  'host'  of  the  heavens  in  Isa. 
x:;xiv.  4.  Luke  adds  a  description  of  the  effect  produced  by  these 
portents  on  the  spectators — '  men  fainting  for  fear,  and  for  ex- 
pectation of  the  things  which  are  coming  on  the  world  '  (xxi.  26). 

26.  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming1.  This 
announcement  of  the  actual  coming  is  introduced  in  Matthew's 
Gospel  by  the  words  '  and  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of 
man  in  heaven '  (xxiv.  30).  This  has  been  taken  by  some  to  mean 
that  the  Advent  of  Christ  will  be  heralded  by  a  vision  of  the  Cross 
in  the  heavens.     Others  have  sought  to  identify  this  sign  with  the 


3o4  ST.  MARK    13.   27,  28 

27  power  and  glory.  And  then  shall  he  send  forth  the 
angels,  and  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth  to  the  utter- 
most part  of  heaven. 

28  Now  from  the  fig  tree  learn  her  parable :   when  her 

appearing  of  angels,  or  with  the  vision  of  the  star  of  the  Messiah, 
as  if  the  reference  were  to  the  prophecy  of  Balaam  (Num.  xxiv. 
17).  But  this  is  beside  the  question.  The  thing  that  was  to  be 
the  signal  of  the  coming  is  left  undefined,  and  no  clue  is  given 
by  which  to  identify  it. 

in  clouds  with  great  power  and  glory.  The  words  take  us 
back  to  Daniel's  vision  of  the  coming  '  with  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
of  one  like  unto  a  son  of  man '  (vii.  13).  Daniel's  vision  referred  to 
the  advent  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  imperishable  kingdom  of 
saints,  the  kingdom  of  the  regenerate  Israel  that  was  to  take  the 
place  of  the  cruel,  godless  world-empires.  The  '  clouds '  are  part 
of  the  imagery  which  expresses  the  heavenly  order  of  this  new 
kingdom.  Elsewhere  in  the  O.  T.  the  l  clouds '  are  often  used 
as  figures  of  the  descent  of  God,  and  His  intervention  on 
behalf  of  His  people  (cf.  Isa.  xix.  1  ;  Ps.  xviii.  ir,  12,  xcvii. 
2s).  The  imagery  is  to  be  similarly  understood  here.  But  that 
this  Parousia  or  second  coming  is  to  be  a  real,  objective  event, 
however  difficult  it  may  be  to  us  to  conceive  it,  appears  to  be 
indicated  with  sufficient  distinctness  in  various  passages  of  the 
,  N.  T.  (Matt.  xxiv.  3,  37,  39;  1  Thess.  iii.  13,  iv.  15,  v.  23  ;  2Thess. 
ii.  1  ;  Jas.  v.  7  ;  2  Pet.  i.  16,  iii.  4,  &c).  Here,  too,  Jesus 
clearly  identifies  himself  with  the  figure  in  Daniel's  prophecy,  and 
the  title  '  Son  of  man '  by  which  he  had  designated  himself  with 
the  ' son  of  man'  in  Daniel.  In  him,  therefore,  the  king  of  Israel 
and  the  representative  of  man,  and  in  his  kingdom,  was  the 
vision  to  have  its  highest  and  final  fulfilment. 

27.  send  forth,  the  angels.  The  'ministering  spirits  sent  forth 
to  do  service  for  the  sake  of  them  that  shall  inherit  salvation  | 
(Heb.  i.  14).  Matthew  adds  'with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet' 
(xxiv.  31)— words  recalling  those  used  of  the  giving  of  the  law 
(Exod.  xix.  16). 

gather  together  his  elect.  The  'elect'  are  now  claimed 
as  his  own—'  his  elect,'  the  elect  of  the  Son  of  man.  The  day 
of  his  return  will  be  the  day  of  the  gathering  of  all  his  own,  and 
the  open  manifestation  of  his  kingdom  in  its  completeness  and 
perfection  (cf.  2  Thess.  ii.  1). 

xiii.  28-37.  Lesson  of  the  Fig-tree  and  Final  Warnings  \  cf.  Matt. 
xxiv.  32-42  ;   Luke  xxi.  29-36. 

28.  Now  from  the  fig  tree  learn  her  parable.     The  fig-tree, 


ST.   MARK   13.  29-32  305 

branch  is  now  become  tender,  and  putteth  forth  its  leaves, 
ye  know  that  the  summer  is  nigh ;  even  so  ye  also,  when  29 
ye  see  these  things  coming  to  pass,  know  ye  that  he  is 
nigh,  even  at  the  doors.      Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  3° 
generation  shall  not  pass  away,  until  all  these  things  be 
accomplished.     Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away :  but  31 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away.     But  of  that  day  or  that  32 

one  of  the  commonest  trees  in  the  country,  has  already  served  as 
the  occasion  for  solemn  warnings  and  counsels  JVIark  xi.  13.  14, 
20-26).  He  makes  a  similar  use  of  it  again.  '  Her  parable,'  that 
is.  the  lesson  she  suggests.  The  'parable'  here  is  one  of  the  class 
of  minor,  partial  parables,  an  illustration  or  analogy. 

when  her  branch  is  now  become  tender,  and  putteth  forth 
its  leaves.  This  is  the  case  of  a  fig-tree  of  ordinary  growth,  not 
an  abnormal  specimen  with  a  deceptive  shew  of  leafage  before  the 
proper  time.  The  branches  have  their  hard  external  covering  soft- 
ened or  made  'tender'  by  the  moistures  of  spring,  and  the  sap 
circulates  freely  through  them.  Then  they  begin  to  shew  their 
greenness,  the  leaves  bursting  their  sheaths.  That  is  the  token 
of  the  approach  of  summer,  the  earliest  token  of  it.  (Cf.  Song  of 
Songs,  ii.  n-13). 

29.  so  ye:  the  disciples  should  not  be  less  discerning  in  their 
particular  sphere  of  things  than  the  ordinary  man  is  in  the  matter 
of  the  seasons. 

he  is  nigh :  rather,  '  it  is  nigh,'  that  is,  the  decisive  event 
referred  to,  left  thus  in  its  unexplained  mystery  and  awe. 

even  at  the  doors.  Cf.  Jas.  v.  9.  His  disciples  ought  to  be 
able  to  recognize  the  significance  of  the  events  spoken  of,  and 
discern  in  them  the  beginnings  of  the  consummation. 

30.  This  generation  shall  not  pass.  The  word  '  generation  '  is 
to  be  taken  in  its  usual  sense,  the  sense  which  it  has  in  Matt, 
xxiii.  36  and  in  the  Gospels  generally — the  body  of  men  then 
living.  Jesus  turns  at  this  point  from  the  question  of  the  sign  to 
that  of  the  time,  and  intimates  that  the  things,  all  of  them,  of 
which  he  has  been  speaking,  would  take  place  before  his  contem- 
poraries should  all  have  departed  this  life.  Matthew  and  Luke 
also  give  the  statement  practically  in  the  same  terms. 

31.  my  words  shall  not  pass  away.  Jesus  had  previously 
claimed  permanence  for  the  law  ^Matt.  v.  18  ;  Luke  xvi.  ^r^s).  He 
now  claims  for  his  own  words  a  permanence  more  enduring  than 
heaven  or  earth  is  destined  to  have — an  everlasting  validity  and 
power.     Cf.  Isa.  xl.  6-8,  li.  68.1  Pet.  i.  24,  25. 

32.  But  of  that    day  or    that   hour.       The   '  day '   and    the 


3°6  ST.  MARK   13.  33,  34 

hour  knoweth  no  one,  not  even  the  angels  in  heaven, 

33  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father.     Take  ye  heed,  watch 

34  and  pray :  for  ye  know  not  when  the  time  is.     //  is  as 

'  hour '  here  are  the  time  of  the  Lord's  return — the  conclusive, 
judicial  day,  elsewhere  called  'the  day,'  'that  da3''  (1  Thess. 
v.  4  ;  1  Cor.  iii.  13),  *  the  last  day '  (John  v.  25,  vi.  39,  40,  44,  54, 
xi.  24),  'the  day  of  wrath  '  (Rom.  ii.  5),  'the  day  when  God  shall 
judge  the  secrets  of  men,  by  Jesus  Christ '  (Rom.  ii.  16),  '  the  day 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ'  (j  Cor.  i.  8),  'the  day  of  Jesus  Christ' 
(Phil.  i.  6),  'the  day  of  Christ1  (Phil.  i.  10,  &c). 

knoweth  no  one,  not  even  the  angels  in  heaven,  neither 
the  Son.  The  precise  time  of  this  return  is  hidden  from  all  but  the 
Father.  It  is  one  of  the  things  he  hath  '  set  within  his  own  au- 
thority '  (Acts  i.  7).  The  negatives  here  are  absolute  and  exclusive, 
'no  one,  not  even  the  angels,  nor  yet  the  Son.'  That  angelic  know- 
ledge is  not  unlimited  is  not  difficult  to  understand,  and  it  is  in- 
dicated elsewhere  (Eph.  iii.  10  ;  1  Pet.  i.  12).  But  the  peculiarity 
of  the  present  passage  is  that  the  Son  himself  is  coupled  with  the 
angels  in  this  declaration  of  nescience.  The  declaration  is  made, 
too,  by  the  Son  himself,  and  in  terms  most  definite  and  unqualified. 
It  is  the  ascription  of  a  real  nescience,  not  of  an  ignorance  operating 
in  one  part  of  his  personality  and  not  in  the  other,  nor  an  ignorance 
simply  assumed  for  a  certain  purpose  while  a  real  omnescience 
remained  latent,  nor  yet  the  pseudo-ignorance  which  meant  that, 
while  he  knew  this  particular  thing  as  he  knew  all  things,  he  had 
no  commission  from  his  Father  to  communicate  it  to  others.  Nor 
is  there  any  difficulty  in  accepting  the  statement  as  it  stands.  The 
limitation  in  knowledge  was  only  a  part  of  the  larger  and  more 
mysterious  limitation  implied  in  the  Incarnation,  and  in  that  sub- 
jection of  our  Lord  to  the  ordinary  laws  of  growth,  physical, 
mental,  and  moral,  which  is  affirmed  of  him  in  the  N.  T.  (Luke  ii. 
40,  52  ;  Heb.  v.  8).  Nor  is  such  a  nescience  as  is  here  attributed 
to  him,  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  matters  of  times  and  seasons, 
inconsistent  in  any  way  with  his  perfect  sinlessness.  There  are 
multitudes  of  things  that  are  morally  neutral,  the  knowledge  or  the 
ignorance  of  which  makes  us  neither  better  nor  worse  in  the  moral 
nature. 

33.  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray.  The  disciples,  therefore, 
'know  not  when  the  time  is,'  and  the  Master  cannot  disclose  it. 
But  this  ignorance  has  its  spiritual  purpose  and  use.  It  should  be 
an  incentive  to  watchfulness  and  prayer,  and  so  to  the  sedulous 
cultivation  of  the  mind  that  will  be  ready  for  the  Lord's  pres- 
ence at  any  time.  The  word  used  here  for  'watch'  means 
properly  'keep  awake,'  'yield  not  to  sleep,'  and  is  used  with 
reference  to  work  as  well  as  to  prayer  (Heb.  xiii.  17  ;  Eph.  vi.  18). 


ST.  MARK    13.  ;,5-37  3°7 

when  a  man,  sojourning  in  another  country,  having  left 
his  house,  and  given  authority  to  his  servants,  to  each 
one  his  work,   commanded   also  the    porter   to  watch. 
Watch  therefore :  for  ye  know  not  when  the  lord  of  the  35 
house  cometh,  whether  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or  at 
cockcrowing,  or  in  the  morning;    lest  coming  suddenly  .6 
he  find  you  sleeping.     And  what  I  say  unto  you  I  say  37 
unto  all,  Watch. 

34.  It  is  as  when  a  man,  sojourning  in  another   country. 

Another  partial  parable  or  illustration,  like  the  one  taken  from  the 
fig,  enforcing  the  need  of  watchfulness.  That  this  is  but  one  of 
various  parables  spoken  at  this  time  appears  from  Matt,  xxiv,  xxv. 
This  one  refers  to  the  case  of  a  man  'away  from  home,'  as  the 
word  means,  on  his  travels,  and  the  special  charge  given  to  the 
'  porter '  when  each  of  the  servants  had  his  own  proper  work 
assigned  him.  In  the  *  lord  of  the  house,'  no  doubt,  wc  are  to  see 
Christ  himself  leaving  the  earthly  scene  of  his  ministry,  departing 
to  his  Father,  and  returning  to  earth  again  after  an  interval  left 
undefined.  But  it  is  to  go  beyond  the  simple  and  immediate  object 
of  the  parable  to  draw  distinctions  between  the  servants  and  the 
potter,  as  if  by  the  former  Jesus  had  in  view  the  disciples  or  the 
Church  generally,  and  by  the  latter  specifically  the  apostolate  or 
the  Christian  ministry  as  the  body  '  to  whom  specially  belongs 
the  responsibility  of  guarding  the  house,  and  of  being  ready  to 
open  the  door  to  the  Master  at  his  return '  (Swete\ 

35.  whether  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or  at  cockcrowing1, 
or  in  the  morning-:  that  is,  '  at  any  part  of  day  or  night.'  The 
Roman  distribution  of  the  twenty-four  hours  into  four  watches 
is  followed  here,  only  that  instead  of  the  usual  terms  first,  second, 
third,  fourth  watch,  popular  terms  are  used.  Matthew  and  Luke 
use  more  general  language  here.  But  the  latter  in  his  report  of 
an  earlier  declaration  represents  Jesus  as  speaking  of  the  'second 
watch,' and  '  the  third  '  (xii.  38"). 

36.  suddenly.  . .  sleeping.  This  is  a  recurrent  note  in  warnings 
or  instructions  relating  to  the  Second  Advent  (ci.  Matt.  xxv.  5  ; 
Rom.  xiii.  ir  ;  1  Thess.  v.  6).  It  is  possible  that  the  familiar  police 
arrangements  maintained  in  the  temple  are  in  view  in  the  terms  of 
this  warning.  Watchmen  moved  about  the  temple  night  and  day  ; 
a  body  of  Levites  did  the  duty  of  watching  by  night  at  twenty- 
one  point?,  according  to  the  Mishna,  and  the  captain  of  the  temple 
went  his  rounds  to  see  that  the  guards  were  not  asleep  ;  he  might 
come  at  any  hour  and  surprise  those  in  charge. 

37.  unto  »  l     Watch.   This  supreme  duty  of  wakeful  vigilance  is 

X   2 


3o8  ST.  MARK   14.  i 

14      Now  after  two  days  was  the  feast  of  the  passover  and 

enjoined  once  more,  and  the  Master's  last  word  solemnly  gives  it 
as  a  duty  applicable  not  to  one  class,  but  to  all.  Matthew  intro- 
duces here  the  great  parables  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  the  Talents, 
and  the  Judgement,  inculcating  the  same  lesson  of  the  need  of 
watchfulness,  and  with  that  the  need  of  faithfulness,  diligence, 
and  service. 

The  Discourse  on  the  End.  The  interpretation  of  this  discourse 
is  by  no  means  easy.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that  it  is 
given  as  a  reply  to  two  plain  questions ;  that  it  is  to  be  taken, 
therefore,  as  a  plain  answer  conveyed  in  terms  which  the  in- 
terrogators could  understand  ;  and  that  it  is  to  be  read  in  the 
light  of  the  familiar  ideas  and  forms  of  expression  characteristic 
of  O.  T.  prophecy  and  Jewish  Apocalypses.  In  the  fuller  version 
given  in  Matthew  it  is  clear  that  the  questions  and  the  answer 
were  not  confined  to  the  one  event  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  temple,  but  embraced  the  further  end — the  return  of 
Christ  and  the  close  of  the  whole  existing  order  of  things  (xxiv.  3). 
The  discourse,  as  we  have  it  in  Mark,  appears  to  have  the  same 
scope,  and  cannot  be  adequately  dealt  with  on  the  supposition  that 
nothing  more  is  in  view  than  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  The  disciples 
connected  the  second  coming  of  Christ  and  the  end  of  the  world 
or  '  the  consummation  of  the  age '  with  the  destruction  of  the 
Holy  City  and  its  temple,  and  in  this  discourse  these  events  are 
placed  in  relation  to  each  other  as  antecedent  and  consequent, 
although  the  precise  'day'  or  'hour'  is  left  undisclosed.  This  is 
in  accordance  with  the  genius  of  O.  T.  prophecy,  which  places 
things  in  conjunction  which  are  essentially  or  causally  connected, 
although  they  may  prove  to  be  separated  in  point  of  time.  The 
language  also  in  which  this  discourse  runs  is  of  the  nature  of 
the  large,  hyperbolical  terms  used  by  the  O.  T.  prophets  in  their 
announcements  of  retributive  events,  the  overthrow  of  the  enemies 
of  the  theocracy,  &c.  The  imagery,  therefore,  is  not  to  be  taken 
literally.  Least  of  all  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  the  prophecy  must 
have  a  fulfilment  in  actual  physical  phenomena  when  it  speaks  of 
the  darkening  of  the  sun  and  moon,  the  falling  of  the  stars,  the 
shaking  of  the  powers  in  the  heavens,  and  the  like. 

xiv.  1-2.  Schemes  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Authorities :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi. 
1-5  ;  Luke  xxii.  1-2. 

14.  after  two  days :  that  is, '  the  next  day,'  or  '  on  the  second 
day ' ;  as  in  Hosea  the  '  after  two  days '  is  distinguished  from 
1  on  the  third  day '  (vi.  2).  This  will  make  the  day  the  thirteenth 
of  Nisan,  Wednesday  of  Passion  Week. 

the   feast  of  the   passover.     The   word    'passover'  means 
sometimes  the  paschal  lamb  which  was  killed  an.'  eaten  on  the 


ST.  MARK   14.  2,  3  309 

the  unleavened  bread  :    and  the  chief  priests  and  the 
scribes  sought  how  they  might  take  him  with  subtilty, 
and  kill  him  :    for  they  said,  Not  during  the  feast,  lest  2 
haply  there  shall  be  a  tumult  of  the  people. 

And  while  he  was  in  Bethany  in  the  house  of  Simon  3 

fourteenth  of  Nisan,  the  first  month  of  the  Jewish  year,  in  memory 
of  the  day  when  the  Israelites  were  bidden  to  prepare  to  quit  Egypt 
(Exod.  xii  ;  Num.  ix  ;  Deut.  xvi\  as  in  Mark  xiv.  12  ;  Luke  xxii. 
7  ;  sometimes  the  paschal  supper,  as  in  Mark  xiv.  16  ;  Luke  xxii.  8, 
13  ;  sometimes  the  paschal  festival,  the  memorial  feast  lasting 
from  the  fourteenth  to  the  twentieth  of  Nisan,  as  here  and  in 
Matt.  xxvi.  2  ;  Luke  ii.  41,  xxii.  1  :  John  ii.  13,  23,  vi.  4,  &c. 

and  the  unleavened  bread.  The  term  rendered  'unleavened 
bread  '  is  used  sometimes  of  the  unfermented  loaves  which  the 
Israelites  ate  for  seven  days  in  commemoration  of  their  departure 
from  Egypt  Exod.  xxiii.  15  ;  Lev.  xxiii.  6),  as  in  Matt.  xxvi.  17; 
Mark  xiv.  12  ;  Luke  xxii.  1,  7  ;  sometimes  of  the  paschal  festival 
itself,  as  here.  The  peculiarity  of  the  present  passage  is  that  the 
festival  is  designated  by  the  double  title,  specifying  both  the  in- 
troductory meal  and  the  seven  days  of  unleavened  bread.  This 
commemorative  festival  was  an  eight  da3's'  feast,  beginning  with 
the  paschal  meal  and  continuing  through  seven  days  of  restriction 
to  unfermented  bread. 

sought  how  they  might  take  him  with  subtilty.  Matthew 
says  '  the  chief  priests,  and  the  elders  of  the  people '  (xxvi.  3\ 
The  meeting,  therefore,  included  all  three  orders  in  the  Sanhedrin, 
and  its  object  was  to  devise  some  crafty  scheme  by  which  the}" 
might  get  Jesus  into  their  hands  without  awakening  popular 
opposition.  From  Matthew  (xxvi.  3s)  we  learn  that  this  consulta- 
tion took  place  in  the  court  of  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest. 

2.  Not  during  the  feast.  Their  plan  was  to  keep  clear  of 
the  passover  feast  in  any  action  they  might  take.  They  must 
cither  act  at  once,  therefore,  as  the  passover  began  next  day,  or 
delay  till  the  seven  days  of  the  feast  were  over. 

lest  haply  there  shall  be  a  tumult.  This  was  the  reason 
for  their  'subtilty'  and  for  their  wish  to  keep  clear  of  the  feast. 
They  knew  that  the  mass  of  the  people,  mostly  from  Galilee,  who 
were  about  him  at  present  were  on  his  side,  and  they  dreaded 
to  raise  their  opposition.  Once  let  the  feast  be  over  and  these 
multitudes  of  sympathizers  scattered  to  their  homes,  and  the 
danger  of  a  tumult  would  be  less. 

xiv.  3-9.  The  Anointing  at  Bethany:  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  6-13; 
John   xii.    2-8.     The   narratives    in    Matthew,    Mark,   and   John 


310  ST.  MARK    14.  3 

appear  clearty  to  refer  to  one  and  the  same  occasion.  There  is 
a  difference  indeed  in  the  chronological  connexion,  John  placing 
the  supper  six  days  before  the  Passover,  and  the  Synoptists  intro- 
ducing their  account  of  it  along  with  circumstances  belonging  to  a 
period  several  days  later.  Hence,  some  have  concluded  that  there 
were  two  suppers,  one  given  by  Lazarus  at  the  earlier  date,  and 
another  by  Simon  at  the  later.  But  the  difference  in  position  can 
be  otherwise  explained.  In  Luke's  Gospel  we  have  also  a  narrative 
of  an  anointing  by  the  hands  of  a  woman  (Luke  vii.  36-50),  which 
has  a  general  resemblance  to  this,  and  in  which  the  host  bears,  as 
here,  the  name  of  Simon.  Many  have  taken  the  four  narratives, 
therefore,  to  be  simply  four  versions  of  one  and  the  same  incident. 
But  the  differences  are  considerable.  The  incident  in  Luke  is 
introduced  at  a  much  earlier  point  of  the  narrative,  and  seems  to 
belong  to  an  earlier  period  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  The  person, 
too,  who  performs  the  lavish  act  of  gratetul  love  is  very  far  from 
being  presented  in  the  same  light  in  Luke's  account  as  in  the 
others.  In  Luke  she  is  described  as  '  a  woman  which  was  in  the 
city,  a  sinner ' ;  in  the  first  two  Gospels  she  is  designated  simply 
'  a  woman,'  and  has  no  stigma  attached  to  her  ;  and  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel  she  is  '  Mary,  the  sister  of  Martha  and  Lazarus.'  And  there 
is  no  reason  for  identifying  Mary  of  Bethai^  with  'the  woman 
which  was  in  the  city,'  or  for  attaching  to  the  former  the  character 
of  the  latter. 

3.  while  he  was  in  Bethany.  Matthew  and  Mark  agree  in 
introducing  the  report  of  this  incident  immediately  after  the 
meeting  of  the  scheming  ecclesiastical  authorities.  John  brings 
in  his  account  immediately  before  that  of  the  Triumphal  Entry 
into  Jerusalem.  John's  order  has  been  accepted  by  most  as 
representing  the  actual  historical  relation.  Nor  do  the  first  two 
Gospels  give  any  very  explicit  indication  of  the  time,  confining 
themselves  as  they  do  to  the  general  statement  that  the  incident 
took  place  when  Jesus  was  in  Bethany.  The  introduction  of  the 
anointing  in  the  heart  of  events  belonging  to  Passion  Week  might 
naturally  suggest  that  it  also  fell  within  that  period.  It  is  possible 
at  the  same  time  that  the  position  given  it  in  Matthew  and  Mark 
is  due  to  other  than  chronological  considerations— to  the  desire,  it 
may  be,  to  place  alongside  the  story  of  the  treachery  of  Judas  the 
occurrence  which  brought  out  his  grudging,  covetous  nature,  and 
perhaps  prompted  the  course  he  took. 

Simon  the  leper.  Simon  was  a  common  Jewish  name.  This 
Simon  is  distinguished  from  others  by  the  title  '  the  leper,'  he 
being  probably  a  cured  leper,  perhaps  one  of  those  healed  by 
Jesus.  Nothing  more  is  said  of  him.  Some  imagine  him  to  have 
been  the  deceased  head  of  the  family,  or  the  husband  of  Martha, 
or  some  other  relative  of  the  sisters.  The  terms  indeed  are  so 
general  as  to  leave  it  uncertain  whether  the  Simon  who  is  named 


ST.  MARK   14.  3  3U 

the  leper,  as  he  sat  at  meat,  there  came  a  woman  having 
an  alabaster  cruse  of  ointment  of  spikenard  very  costly ; 

was  the  host  on  this  occasion,  or  even  whether  he  was  present  or 
had  any  connexion  with  the  event  beyond  that  of  being  owner  of 
the  house. 

sat  at  meat.  That  is,  '  reclined  at  meat.'  The  historical  books 
of  the  O.  T.  indicate  that  sitting  was  the  usual  Hebrew  posture  at 
meals  (Gen.  xxvii.  19;  Judges  xix.  6;  1  Sam.  xx.  5,  24  ;  1  Kings 
xiii.  20").  In  course  of  time  the  practice  of  sitting  gave  way  to 
that  of  reclining  on  couches.  This  latter  custom  had  come  in  at 
least  as  early  as  the  time  of  the  eighth-century  prophets,  and  had 
already  been  associated  with  luxurious  habits.  Amos  delivers 
woes  against  those  who  •  lie  upon  beds  of  ivory  and  stretch 
themselves  upon  their  couches'  (vi.  4).  In  our  Lord's  time  it 
was  the  universal  habit.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  also  in  course 
of  time  gave  up  the  sitting  at  meals  of  which  we  read  in  Homer 
(II.  x.  578,  Od.  i.  145)  for  the  recumbent  position,  except  in  the 
case  of  women  and  children.  The  reclining  posture  was  taken 
over  perhaps  from  the  Babylonians  and  Syrians,  who  appear  to 
have  adopted  it  in  early  times. 

a  woman.  The  Synoptists  do  not  give  her  name.  In  John's 
account  Martha  of  Bethany  serves,  and  Mary  anoints  the  Master. 

an  alabaster  cruse.  Or,  'a  flask,'  as  in  the  margin  of  the 
R.  V.  The  'box'  of  the  A.  V.  is  less  correct.  Literally  it  is  'an 
alabaster,'  that  name  being  given  to  vases  used  for  the  holding  of 
unguents,  because  they  were  often  made  of  that  material.  One 
Egyptian  town,  famous  for  its  quarries  of  alabaster,  bore  the  name 
of  Alabastron.  The  alabaster  of  the  ancients  was  different  from 
what  is  known  as  alabaster  among  us,  not  a  sulphate  of  lime,  but 
a  stalagmitic  carbonate  of  lime.  It  was  supposed  to  preserve  the 
aroma  of  the  perfumes. 

of  spikenard:  lit.  'of  pistic  nard,'  a  doubtful  phrase,  taken 
by  some  to  mean  Pistic  nard,  with  reference  to  the  locality  where 
it  was  obtained;  by  others,  'bearded'  or  'spiked'  nard,  and  so 
'  spikenard '  as  in  the  A.  V.  and  the  old  English  Versions ;  by 
others,  '  liquid  '  or  '  potable '  nard  ;  but  by  most,  genuine,  pure 
nard,  in  contrast  with  the  psc it do- nard,  an  adulterated  article  which 
is  known  to  have  been  sold  (Pliny,  Nat.  Hist.  xii.  26).  This  '  nard  ' 
was  the  essential  oil  of  an  Indian  plant,  a  species  of  Valerian, 
known  among  the  Arabs  as  the  Indian  Spike,  and  grown,  according 
to  Sir  William  Jones, '  in  the  most  remote  and  hilly  parts  of  India, 
such  as  Nepal.  Morang,  and  Butan,  near  which  Ptolemy  fixes  its 
native  soil'  (JVorks,  v.  p.  44).  In  the  O.  T.  it  is  mentioned  only 
in  the  Song  of  Songs  (i.  12,  iv.  13,  14)  ;  in  the  N.  T.  only  here  and 
in  John  xii.  3. 

very  costly.      It  was  perhaps  the  costliest  of  all  the  fragrant 


312  ST.  MARK  14.  4,  5 

and  she  brake  the  cruse,  and  poured  it  over  his  head. 

4  But  there  were  some  that  had  indignation  among  them- 
selves, saying,  To  what  purpose  hath  this  waste  of  the 

5  ointment  been  made  ?     For  this  ointment  might  have 
been  sold  for  above  three  hundred  pence,  and  given  to 


oils  of  the  ancient  world.  Horace  promises  Vergil  a  whole  cask  of 
wine  for  a  small  onjrx  of  nard  (Carm.  iv.  xii.  16,  17".  Herodotus 
tells  us  it  was  one  of  the  gifts  sent  by  Cambyses  to  the  Ethiopians 
(iii.  20). 

brake  the  cruse.  Some  think  this  means  only  that  she  broke 
the  seal.  But  it  seems  rather  to  mean  that  she  broke  the  narrow 
neck  of  the  flask  itself,  so  that  the  entire  contents  might  be  spent 
on  the  Master,  and  nothing  reserved  for  any  commoner  use. 

over  his  head.  In  John's  narrative  Mary  anoints  the  feet  of 
Jesus.  It  may  be  that  the  perfume,  poured  in  a  lavish  gush  upon 
the  head,  streamed  down  upon  the  feet,  or  that  head  and  feet 
were  anointed  in  turn.  The  anointing  of  the  head  was  a  customary 
act  of  attention  on  the  part  of  a  host  to  his  guest  (cf.  Ps.  xxiii.  5  ; 
Luke  vii.  46)  or  of  goodwill  to  visitors,  as  in  the  case  of  the  captives 
of  Judah  who  were  anointed  before  they  were  sent  back  (2  Chron. 
xxviii.  15).  To  anoint  the  feet  was  an  unusual  act,  a  token  of 
deepest  humility  and  veneration,  reserved  for  the  greatest,  and 
said  not  to  have  been  known  even  among  the  Roman  emperors  till 
Nero's  time. 

4.  there  were  some.  Matthew  says  they  were  '  the  disciples ' 
(xxvi.  8).     John  speaks  of  Judas  as  the  murmurer  (xii.  4). 

had  indignation  among  themselves.  The  feeling  of  the 
disciples  is  expressed  by  the  same  strong  term  as  was  used  of 
the  'indignation'  of  Jesus  himself  in  the  case  of  the  interference 
of  the  disciples  with  those  who  brought  the  children  to  be  touched 
(x.  J4).  The  indignation  of  these  '  some  '  did  not  express  itself  in 
any  formal  or  public  manner.  It  was  confined  to  grumblings  that 
went  from  mouth  to  mouth  among  themselves. 

this  waste.  To  use  the  nard  in  this  prodigal  way  was  in 
their  view  simple  'destruction.'  The  judgement  of  a  calculating 
utilitarian  spirit,  blind  to  the  higher  values  of  love. 

5.  three  hundred  pence.  That  is,  three  hundred  denarii  or 
shillings,  or  from  £10  to  £12,  in  nominal  value,  but  much  more, 
from  three  to  six  times  more;  in  actual  purchasing  power.  The 
vase,  John  tells  us,  contained  '  a  pound,'  a  Roman  pound  (xii.  3! 

given  to  the  poor.  As  we  may  infer  from  Mark  vi.  37,  the 
sum  would  have  fed  some  thousands.  To  think  of  the  hungry 
poor  in    Jerusalem,  and  what   the   money   might   have   done  for 


ST.   MARK    114.  6-8  3T3 

the  poor.     And  they  murmured  against  her.     But  Jesus  6 
said,    Let    her   alone;    why   trouble  ye   her?    she   hath 
wrought  a  good  work  on  me.      For  ye  have  the  poor  7 
always  with  you,  and  whensoever  ye  will  ye  can  do  them 
good  :  but  me  ye  have  not  always.     She  hath  done  what  8 
she  could  :  she  hath  anointed  my  body  aforehand  for  the 

them  !    So  the  grudging  temper  finds  specious  arguments  by  which 
to  justify  itself  and  give  its  meanness  the  colour  of  charity. 

6.  murmured  against  her.  They  did  not  venture  to  say  an)r- 
thingof  him  and  his  allowance  of  the  '  waste ' ;  but  with  her  it  was 
different.  Their  indignation,  which  at  first  had  been  but  muttered, 
now  broke  out  into  open  and  vehement  expression. 

a  good  work.  '  Good  '  in  the  sense  of  excellent,  seemly.  It  , 
was  a  deed  of  moral  beauty,  made  so  by  the  spirit  of  ungrudging  | 
love  that  prompted  it.  * 

7.  For  ye  have  the  poor  always  with  you.  The  Master  him- 
self becomes  her  apologist,  and  in  vindicating  her  act  he  also 
adjusts  duty  to  duty.  Kindness  to  the  poor  is  a  primary  duty  in 
his  kingdom,  and  one  never  to  be  neglected.  Yet  there  may  be 
duties  to  which  even  it  must  give  place  for  a  time.  When  a  conflict 
of  duties  arises,  it  is  to  be  settled  by  the  simple  principle  that  the  . 
one  which  can  be  done  only  then  shall  have  precedence  over  that 
which  can  be  done  at  any  time.  The  clause  '  and  whensoever 
ye  will  ye  can  do  them  good  '  is  peculiar  to  Mark. 

me  ye  have  not  always.  A  simple  but  pathetic  reminder  of 
what  he  had  told  them  once  and  again — the  fact  that  he  was  to 
die.  The  beauty  of  the  woman's  act,  therefore,  was  seen  also 
in  its  timeliness.  Love  has  its  own  insight  into  the  times  and 
seasons  for  things,  and  makes  its  way  by  unerring  instinct  through 
all  difficulties  of  competing  duties  and  the  fitnesses  of  things. 

8.  She  hath  done  what  she  could.  The  measure  of  ability  is 
the  measure  of  merit ;  this  woman  had  the  praise  of  doing  all  that 
either  means  or  opportunity  made  it  possible  for  her  to  do.  It  is 
'  utmost  love  recognizing  love's  utmost '  (Clarke).  This  sentence 
also  is  peculiar  to  Mark. 

anointed  my  body.  In  the  case  of  death  it  was  customary 
among  the  Jews  to  wash  the  body  and  then,  as  was  also  done 
by  the  Egyptians,  to  apply  spices  and  unguents.  It  was  an  exter- 
nal application,  and  so  was  distinguished  from  the  Egyptian 
process  of  embalming  (cf.  Mark  xvi.  i;  Luke  xxiii.  56;  John 
xix.  40).  That  it  did  not  prevent  decomposition  appears  from 
John  xi.  3Q  ;  for  we  cannot  imagine  the  ceremony  to  have  been 
omitted  in  the  case  of  Lazarus. 

aforehand  for  the  tmrying :  lit.  '  with  a  view  to  its  prepara- 


314  ST.  MARK   14,  9,  10 

9  burying.  And  verily  I  say  unto  you,  Wheresoever  the 
gospel  shall  be  preached  throughout  the  whole  world, 
that  also  which  this  woman  hath  done  shall  be  spoken 
of  for  a  memorial  of  her. 
i°  And  Judas  Iscariot,  he  that  was  one  of  the  twelve,  went 
away  unto  the  chief  priests,  that  he  might  deliver  him 

tion  for  burial.'  So  in  Matthew  it  is — f  she  did  it  to  prepare  me 
for  burial '  (xxvi.  12).  John  gives  it  somewhat  differently — 
i  suffer  her  to  keep  it  against  the  day  of  my  burying'  (xii.  7).  It 
is  not  too  much  to  suppose  that  the  woman  herself  may  have  done 
what  she  did  with  a  conscious  anticipation  of  his  death.  Love's 
insight  is  a  prophetic  insight,  and  to  this  woman's  love  the  words 
which  Jesus  spoke  regarding  his  Passion  may  have  had  a  meaning 
which  they  had  not  even  to  the  Twelve.  If  her  act  had  no  such 
conscious  purpose,  Jesus  interpreted  it  for  her  and  put  upon  it 
I  a  value  beyond  what  she  herself  had  thought  of.  His  love  makes 
I  more  of  his  servants'  deeds  than  they  themselves  see  in  them. 

9.  Wheresoever  the  gospel  shall  he  preached  throughout 
the  whole  world.  The  world-wide  extension  of  the  Gospel  had 
already  been  declared  to  be  a  thing  as  certain  as  is  the  Divine 
purpose  (xiii.  10).  As  wide  as  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  so 
wide  should  be  the  fame  of  this  deed  ;  and  it  is  this  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  that  secures  the  fulfilment  of  that  prediction. 

for  a  memorial  of  her.  To  make  her  remembered  for  ever 
among  men.  Cf.  the  memorials  which  were  to  make  Cornelius 
remembered  by  God  (Acts  x.  4).  No  deed  that  has  found  a  place 
in  the  Gospel  narratives  has  such  a  commendation  pronounced  in 
it,  or  such  a  prophecy  spoken  of  it.  Matthew  and  Mark  agree 
in  recording  this  unexampled  announcement.  It  is  not  noticed  by 
John  in  his  parallel  narrative  ;  nor  is  any  such  prediction  con- 
nected with  the  similar  deed  reported  by  Luke  in  the  case  of  the 
woman  '  which  was  in  the  city.' 

xiv.  10,  11.  Compact  betiveen  Judas  and  the  Chief  Priests  :  cf. 
Matt.  xxvi.  14-16  ;  Luke  xxii.  3-6. 

10.  Judas  Iscariot.  In  Mark's  Gospel  Judas  is  mentioned 
only  in  the  list  of  the  apostles  (iii.  19),  and  twice  in  this  chapter 

(10,  43). 

one  of  the  twelve.  A  designation  of  tragic  moment,  attached 
to  Judas,  not  only  in  the  Synoptists,  but,  in  somewhat  different 
terms,  in  John  (xii.  4)  and  Acts  (i.  17),  marking  him  out  as  the 
notorious  man  and  sharpening  the  idea  of  his  guilt. 

went  away  unto  the  chief  priests.  He  knew  who  were 
the  most  influential  parties  in  matters  of  this  kind,  the  chief  priests 


ST.  MARK    14.   ii  315 

unto  them.     And  they,  when  they  heard  it,  were  glad,  n 
and  promised  to  give  him  money.     And  he  sought  how 
he  might  conveniently  deliver  him  unto  them, 

rather  than  the  scribes,  and  he  went  off  privately  to  them.  He 
ma}'  have  found  them  still  in  Caiaphas's  court  where  they  had 
been  scheming  (xiv.  1).  From  Luke  we  see  that  the  'captains,' 
the  heads  of  the  temple  police,  were  also  consulted,  being  probably 
with  the  chief  priests    xxii.  4  . 

that  he  might  deliver  him.  He  went  with  the  express 
purpose  of  betraying  Jesus.  What  is  the  explanation  of  this  deed 
of  treachery?  Some  have  attempted  to  soften  Judas's  guilt  b3r 
supposing  that  all  he  had  in  view  was  to  hasten  the  action  of  Jesus 
in  the  establishment  of  his  Messianic  kingdom,  by  bringing  on  him 
the  compulsion  of  a  popular  rising.  But  of  this  there  is  no  hint 
in  the  narratives.  Others  think  he  was  prompted  by  melancholy, 
induced  by  the  disappointment  of  his  carnal  expectations,  or  by 
ivonnded  ambition,  or  by  shipwrecked  faith,  or  by  resentment  caused 
by  the  rebuke  given  him  and  the  detection  of  his  true  character  at 
the  supper  in  Bethany  (John  xii.  6-9).  But  the  Gospels  themselves 
point  onfyto  two  causes—  Satanic  temptation  (Luke  xxii.  3  ;  John  xiii. 
2,  27\  and  avarice.  He  was  selected  to  manage  the  money  affairs  of 
Jesus  and  the  Twelve  perhaps  for  his  practical,  business  capacity. 
But  he  abused  his  trust  (John  xii.  6),  and  finallj'  betrayed  his 
Master,  the  fatal  vice  of  greed  having  been  in  him  from  the 
beginning,  and  having  been  allowed  to  feed  on  the  opportunities 
offered  it,  until  at  last  it  made  him  blind  to  every  other  con- 
sideration. 

11.  they,  when  they  heard  it,  were  glad.  They  had  reason 
to  be  so.  They  needed  no  longer  either  to  scheme  or  to  think  of 
delay.  The  means  of  giving  effect  to  their  fell  purpose  were  put 
into  their  hands  sooner  than  they  had  dreamt  of,  before  the 
Passover,  with  all  its  risks  of  a  popular  rising,  began. 

promised  to  give  him  money.  The  exact  sum  is  recorded 
neither  by  Mark  nor  by  Luke.  Matthew,  however,  who  also 
represents  Judas  as  asking  how  much  the  authorities  would  give 
him.  mentions  that  it  was  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and  that  these 
were  weighed  unto  him  (xxvi.  15).  Coined  money  had  been  in 
circulation  at  least  from  about  143  B.C.,  the  time  of  Simon  the 
Maccabee  ;  but  the  ancient  custom  of  weighing  money  seems  to 
have  been  continued,  especially  in  the  case  of  sums  paid  out  of  the 
temple  treasury,  and  these  'pieces'  would  be  shekels  of  the 
sanctuary  (see  Meyer  on  Matt.  xxvi.  5).  The  whole  sum  would 
amount  to  less  than  £4.  It  is  the  sum  mentioned  in  Zochariah's 
prophecy  (xi.  i2\  It  was  also  the  price  of  a  slave  fKxod.  xxi.  32). 
A  small  sum  truly,  if  it  was  the  whole  and  not  simply  so  much 


Si6  ST.  MARK   14.  12,  13 

12  And  on  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when  they 
sacrificed  the  passover,  his  disciples  say  unto  him,  Where 
wilt  thou  that  we  go  and  make  ready  that  thou  mayest 

13  eat  the  passover?  And  he  sendeth  two  of  his  disciples, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Go  into  the  city,  and  there  shall 

paid  down  on  the  spot,  to  content  any  one,  especially  an  avari- 
cious man  like  Judas. 

he  sought  how  he  might  conveniently  deliver  him.  Luke 
adds  '  in  the  absence  of  the  multitude,'  or,  'without  tumult'  (xxii.  6). 
The  risk  of  a  rising  on  the  part  of  the  people  was  what  the  chief 
priests  were  seeking  to  avoid.  With  the  price  of  his  treachery 
in  his  purse  Judas  went  back  to  those  he  had  left  for  the  time, 
and  watched  his  chance.  The  chief  priests  needed  no  longer  to 
scheme.  There  was  one  now  in  the  inner  circle  who  had  oppor- 
tunities they  had  not,  and  it  was  for  him  now  to  devise  the  means 
and  find  the  occasion. 

xiv.  12-16.  Preparations  for  the  Passover  Meal:  cf.  Matt.  xxvi. 
17-19  ;  Luke  xxii.  7-13. 

12.  on  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread.  Luke  calls  it 
simply  'the  day  of  unleavened  bread1  (xxii.  7).  That  is  the 
fourteenth  Nisan,  beginning  after  sunset  of  the  thirteenth.  In 
post-Exilic  times  it  was  customary  for  the  head  of  the  family 
to  search  the  house  with  a  lighted  candle  on  the  evening  of  the 
thirteenth  Nisan  in  quest  of  leaven.  On  the  fourteenth  the  eating 
of  unleavened  bread  was  suspended,  the  abstention  beginning 
before  noon.  That  day  was  also  called  'the  Preparation'  (Matt. 
xxvii.  62  ;  Mark  xv.  42  ;  Luke  xxiii.  54  ;  John  xix.  14,  31,  42). 

when  they  sacrificed  the  passover.  This  further  definition 
is  given  (with  some  slight  variation)  by  all  three  Synoptists.  On 
certain  occasions  the  Paschal  lamb  was  killed  by  the  Levites 
(a  Chron.  xxx.  15,  xxxv.  6  ;  Ezra  vi.  20),  but  usually  by  the  head 
of  the  family  (Exod.  xii.  6).  It  was  done  in  the  court  of  the 
priests  with  a  considerable  ceremonial.  The  killing  and  the 
eating  took  place  on  the  fourteenth  Nisan  (Exod.  xii.  6;  Lev.  xxiii. 
5  ;   Num.  ix.  3,  &c). 

Where  wilt  thou  that  we  g*o  and  make  ready  ?  The  pre- 
parations that  had  to  be  made  were  considerable,  embracing  the 
providing  of  place,  victim,  unleavened  cakes,  wine,  water,  the 
bitter  herbs — lettuce,  endive,  chicory,  horehound.  and  the  like — 
the  sauce  called  C/iaroset//,  the  roasting  of  the  lamb,  the  setting 
out  of  the  table,  &c. 

13.  two  of  his  disciples.  Luke  tells  us  they  were  Peter  and 
John  (xxii.  8).     They  are  sent  into  Jerusalem. 


ST.   MARK    14.   14-17  317 

meet  you  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water :  follow  him  ; 
and  wheresoever  he  shall  enter  in,  say  to  the  goodman  14 
of  the   house,   The   Master  saith,   Where  is  my  guest- 
chamber,  where  I  shall  eat  the  passover  with  my  disciples? 
And  he  will  himself  shew  you  a  large  upper  room  furnished  15 
and  ready  :    and  there   make  ready  for  us.      And   the  16 
disciples  went  forth,  and  came  into  the  city,  and  found 
as  he  had  said   unto  them  :    and  they  made  ready  the 
passover. 

And  when  it  was  evening  he  cometh  with  the  twelve.  17 

a  man  bearing1  a  pitcher  of  water.  Probably  a  servant  of 
the  house.  To  carry  water  was  usually  the  woman's  work.  But 
it  was  alto  the  slave's  task  (Deut.  xxix.  11  ;  Josh.  ix.  11).  It 
would  be  easier  to  recognize  a  man  thus  employed,  sent  no  doubt 
to  fetch  water  from  Siloam  for  the  sacred  uses  of  the  Passover. 
On  his  return  he  would  cross  the  path  of  the  two  disciples  who 
came  in  from  the  other  side,  and  as  they  followed  him  he  '  would 
act  as  an  unconscious  guide  through  the  net-work  of  narrow  and 
unfamiliar  streets  to  the  appointed  place'  (Swete). 

14.  The  Master  saith,  Where  is  my  guest-chamber?  '  My 
guest-chamber,'  that  is,  'the  lodging  destined  for  me.'  This  was 
the  simple  message  with  which  the  two  were  charged,  and  they 
were  to  deliver  it  to  '  the  goodman  of  the  house  '  himself. 

15.  he  will  himself  shew  yon.  The  Master  of  the  house  was 
himself  to  make  all  things  right  for  them.  They  were  to  be 
shewn  a  'large  upper  room,'  a  chamber  suitable  for  the  occasion 
and  for  the  number  that  was  to  come,  and  all  '  furnished  and 
ready,'  that  is,  provided  with  the  necessary  table  and  carpets  or 
divans.  The  householder's  ready  reception  of  the  two  messengers, 
and  his  shewing  them  at  once  the  place  prepared,  are  the  acts 
surely  of  a  disciple. 

16.  and  found  as  he  had  said.  This  was  the  second  occasion 
during  the  Passion  Week  that  the  disciples  had  this  experience. 

xiv.  17-21.  The  Paschal  Supper:  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  20-25;  Luke 
xxii.   14,  21-23  ;  John  xiii.  2,  21-30. 

17.  when  it  was  evening.  By  the  original  appointment  the 
Paschal  lamb  was  to  be  eaten  at  night  (Exod.  xii.  8\  It  was  to 
be  slain  "at  even,'  'between  the  two  evenings,'  as  the  Hebrew 
puts  it  (Exod.  xii.  6).  The  custom  was  not  to  kill  it  till  after  the 
evening  sacrifice  was  offered. 

with  the  twelve.    The  two,  therefore,  seem  to  have  returned 


318  ST.  MARK   14.  18-20 

iS  And  as  they  sat  and  were  eating.  Jesus  said,  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  One  of  you  shall  betray  me,  even  he  that  eateth 

19  with  me.     They  began  to  be  sorrowful,  and  to  say  unto 

20  him  one  by  one,  Is  it   I  ?      And  he  said  unto  them, 

by  this  time,  and  Judas  also.  All  were  once  more  in  Jerusalem, 
Jesus  having  come  again  from  the  mount  of  Olives,  probably  as 
the  sun  was  setting.  '  It  was  the  last  day-view  which  the  Lord 
had  of  the  Holy  City — till  his  Resurrection  '  (Edersheim,  The 
Temple  audits  Services,  p.  195).  The  lamb  had  to  be  wholly  con- 
sumed (Exod.  xii.  46).  It  was  provided,  therefore,  that  if  any 
household  was  '  too  little  for  a  lamb  '  it  was  to  join  with  another 
i,Exod.  xii.  4).  It  came  to  be  recognized  that  a  Paschal  gathering 
should  not  consist  of  less  than  ten  guests  (Josephus,  Jewish  War, 
vi.  ix.  3). 

18.  as  they  sat:  or  rather,  'reclined.'  Originally  the  Paschal 
lamb  was  to  be  eaten  standing  (Exod.  xii.  n).  But  the  standing 
posture  had  long  been  given  up  for  the  recumbent  position  which 
was  usual  at  other  meals. 

One  of  you  shall  betray  me.  A  new  note,  and  one  of 
darkest  meaning,  in  his  announcements.  At  least  on  one  earlier 
occasion,  indeed,  a  hint  of  evil  within  the  apostolic  circle  itself 
had  fallen  from  his  lips.  In  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  falling  away  of  many  disciples,  he  had  put  the 
ominous  question  to  the  Twelve — 'Did  not  I  choose  you  the  twelve, 
and  one  of  you  is  a  devil?'  (John  vi.  70).  At  the  supper,  too, 
according  to  John,  after  he  had  washed  the  disciples'  feet,  he 
spoke  the  significant  words,  'ye  are  clean,  but  not  all,'  and  referred 
to  the  fulfilment  of  the  Scripture,  '  he  that  eateth  my  bread  lifted 
up  his  heel  against  me  '  (John  xiii.  10,  18).  But  the  most  distinct 
intimation  of  the  terrible  fact  that  other  hands  than  those  of  hostile 
Jewish  and  Roman  officials  were  to  be  concerned  with  his  delivery 
and  death,  is  made  at  this  point  according  to  Matthew  (xxvi.  21 ), 
as  well  as  Mark.  The  words  '  even  he  that  eateth  with  me '  are 
given  only  by  Mark.  They  refer,  no  doubt,  to  the  Psalm  (xii.  9) 
from  which  John  records  Jesus  to  have  quoted  a  verse  (xiii.  18). 

19.  began  to  be  sorrowful.  At  these  dark  words  the  joy  of 
the  Paschal  meal  was  turned  at  once  into  pain  and  doubt. 

to  say  unto  him  one  by  one,  Is  it  I  ?  or  rather,  '  surely 
it  is  not  I,  is  it?'  On  the  instant  each  thinks  of  himself,  and  of 
the  possibility  of  the  words  pointing  to  him — but  with  the  tone 
of  incredulity  and  in  expectation  of  an  assurance  to  the  contrary. 
None  of  them,  strange  to  say.  thinks  of  Judas,  or  says,  '  Is  it  he 
there?'  But  Judas  himself,  as  we  gather  from  Matthew  (xxvi. 
25),  was  not  ashamed  to  ask  as  the  others  had  done,  '  Is  it  I  ? ' 


ST.  MARK   14.  21  319 

//  is  one  of  the  twelve,  he  that  dippeth  with  me  in  the 
dish.     For  the  Son  of  man  goeth,  even  as  it  is  written  21 
of  him  :  hut  woe  unto  that  man  through  whom  the  Son 
of  man  is  betrayed  !  good  were  it  for  that  man  if  he  had 
not  been  born. 


20.  he  that  dippeth  with  me  in  the  dish.  To  dip  into  the 
same  dish  with  another  was  a  token  of  intimate  friendship,  as  is 
seen  in  the  invitation  of  Bonz  to  Ruth  at  meal-time  (Ruth  ii.  14). 
The  dish  in  view  here  was  probably  the  Charoscth,  the  peculiar 
sauce,  made  of  vinegar,  figs,  dates,  almonds,  and  spice,  used  at  the 
Passover.  Travellers  tell  us  that  the  few  remaining  Samaritans. 
when  they  celebrate  the  Passover  on  the  top  of  Gerizim,  'hand 
to  the  stranger  a  little  olive-shaped  morsel  of  unleavened  bread 
inclosing  a  green  fragment  of  wild  endive  or  some  other  bitter 
herb,  which  may  resemble,  except  that  it  is  not  dipped  in  the  dish, 
the  very  "  sop  "  which  Judas  received  at  the  hands  of  Christ ' 
(Farrar's  Life  of  Christ,  ii.  p.  290).  Comparing  John's  account  we 
see  that  when  Jesus  spoke  of  one  of  the  Twelve  as  betraying  him, 
the  disciples  cast  perplexed  looks  one  upon  another;  that  John, 
at  Peter's  suggestion,  asked  Jesus  directly  who  was  meant  ;  that 
Jesus,  who  reclined  probably  between  Peter  and  John,  having  the 
latter  nearest  his  ear,  replied  that  it  was  he  to  whom  he  was  about 
to  give  the  sop.  (John  xiii.  22,  24-26.)  This  then  was  the  sign — 
the  selection  of  Judas  to  receive  one  of  the  pieces  of  bread  which 
it  was  customary  for  the  Master  of  the  feast  at  a  certain  point  to 
dip  into  the  Charoscth  and  give  to  the  party. 

21.  the  Son  of  man  goeth.  This  simple,  solemn  word  'go'  is 
repeatedly  used  by  John  with  reference  to  the  death  of  Jesus 
(John  viii.  14,  21,  xiii.  3,  33,  xiv.  4), 

even  as  it  is  written :  or,  as  Luke  gives  it,  '  as  it  hath  been 
determined.'  The  departure  of  Jesus  to  his  death  was  no  mere 
accident  in  his  career,  nor  simply  the  result  of  that  collision  with 
the  world  to  which  all  prophets  and  righteous  men  are  subject, 
but  an  event  which  meant  the  fulfilment  of  the  purpose  of  God  and 
His  testimony  in  Scripture. 

but  woe  unto  that  man.  The  deed  of  Judas  was  the  work 
neither  of  chance  nor  of  necessity.  The  counsel  of  God  fulfilled 
itself  even  in  his  treachery.  But  that  counsel  neither  superseded 
the  free  action  and  responsibility  of  Judas  nor  relieved  him  of  his 
guilt.     (Cf.  Acts  ii.  23.) 

g-oort  vsre  it  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born.  Words 
suggestive  jf  a  dread  condemnation  and  an  inexpressible  doom. 
But  worcta   -poken  of  the  traitor  only,  and  of  no  other. 


320  ST.  MARK   14.   22 

23      And  as  they  were  eating,  he  took  bread,  and  when 
he  had  blessed,  he  brake  it,  and  gave  to  them,  and  said, 

xiv.  22-25.  The  Institution  of  the  Lord' ]s  Supper  :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi. 
26-29  ;  Luke  xvii.  17-20  ;  see  also  1  Cor.  xi.  23-25. 

22.  And  as  they  were  eating,  he  took  bread.  At  what  point 
was  this  done?  On  this  question  opinion  has  been  divided.  It  is 
most  reasonable,  however,  to  suppose  that  Jesus  would  not  inter- 
fere with  the  usual  ceremonial  of  the  Passover  feast,  but  would 
follow  it  out  carefully  in  all  its  essential  parts,  and  only  then  make 
the  special  institution  of  the  Supper.  The  order  observed  in  the 
celebration  of  the  Passover  in  our  Lord's  time  appears  to  have 
been  this — first,  thanks  were  offered  and  a  cup  of  wine  was  drunk; 
bitter  herbs  were  next  placed  on  the  table,  dipped  in  a  sour  liquid 
and  eaten  with  thanksgiving  ;  then  the  unleavened  bread,  the 
sauce  or  broth  known  as  the  Charoseth,  the  lamb  and  the  flesh  of 
the  Chagiga  (i.  e.  the  free-will  festive  offering  which  was  brought 
on  the  first  day  of  the  feast)  were  presented  ;  next  the  head  of 
the  family,  after  pronouncing  a  blessing,  dipped  a  portion  of  the 
bitter  herbs,  about  the  size  of  an  olive,  in  the  Charoseth  and  ate  it, 
the  others  eating  after  him  ;  then  the  second  cup  of  wine  was 
mixed,  and  an  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  the  Passover  was 
given  ;  the  viands  were  then  put  again  on  the  table,  the  first  part 
of  the  Hallel,  consisting  of  Psalms  cxiii,  cxiv,  was  sung,  thanks- 
giving was  again  offered,  and  the  second  cup  was  drunk  ;  next  the 
head  of  the  house  washed  his  hands,  took  two  pieces  of  bread,  and 
breaking  one  laid  the  broken  parts  on  the  other  piece,  pronounced 
again  a  blessing,  rolled  part  of  the  broken  bread  in  bitter  herbs, 
dipped  it  in  the  Charoseth,  gave  thanks  anew  and  ate  it — doing  the 
same  also  with  the  part  of  the  Chagiga  and  the  lamb  ;  the  guests 
then  partook,  until  the  father  ate  the  last  portion  of  the  lamb ;  the 
father  then  washed  his  hands,  praise  was  offered,  and  the  third 
cup  was  drunk  ;  then  followed  the  singing  of  the  second  part 
of  the  Hallel,  consisting  of  Psalms  cxv-cxviii,  and  the  drinking  of 
the  fourth  cup.  Sometimes  a  fifth  cup  was  drunk,  and  further 
Psalms  (exx-exxvii)  were  sung. 

In  all  probability  the  new  repast,  to  be  known  as  the  Lord's 
Supper  and  to  have  a  distinctive  significance  with  reference  to  his 
death,  was  instituted  by  Jesus  at  the  last  point  in  the  order  of  the 
Paschal  celebration,  when  the  last  portion  of  the  lamb  was  eaten 
and  the  third  cup  was  drunk,  and  the  ceremonial  of  the  Passover 
was  ended. 

when  he  had  blessed,  he  brake  it.  The  '  bread '  which  he 
took  was  one  of  the  loaves  put  upon  the  table  before  the  celebrant, 
but  not  one  of  the  two  which  were  taken  as  part  of  the  ceremonial 
of  the   Paschal  meal  itself.      Another  piece  was  taken,  another 


ST.  MARK   14. 


2A-2 


Take  ye :    this  is  my  body.     And  he  took  a  cup,  and  23 
when  he  had  given  thanks,  he  gave  to  them  :  and  they 
all  drank  of  it.      And  he  said  unto  them,  This  is  my  24 
blood  of  the  covenant,  which  is  shed  for  many.     Verily  25 

blessing  was  pronounced,  and  there  was  a  separate  act  of  fraction. 
There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  the  '  blessing' was  more  than 
a  pra3rer  of  thanksgiving  and  setting  apart.  In  Luke  and  Paul  the 
term  is  '  when  he  had  given  thanks  '  (Luke  xxii.  19  ;  1  Cor.  xi.  24). 

gave  to  them.  Possibly  by  handing  it  round  piece  by  piece, 
but  more  probably,  as  the  Twelve  were  reclining,  by  simply 
presenting  it  as  a  whole  and  distributing  it. 

Take  ye.  The  •  eat '  which  is  inserted  after  the  l  take '  in  the 
A.  V.  appears  not  to  belong  to  the  original  text.  It  is  found, 
however,  in  Matthew's  account.  Both  the  'take'  and  the  'eat' 
are  omitted  by  Luke  and  Paul. 

this  is  my  body.  By  the  '  this  '  Jesus  undoubtedly  means 
the  piece  of  bread  which  they  were  to  take.  As  he  was  himself 
there  in  living,  bodily  form  he  could  not  mean  that  that  piece 
of  bread  was  in  any  literal  fense  his  body.  What  his  words 
expressed  was  the  fact  that  the  bread  which  had  been  given 
them  and  which  had  been  broken,  was  symbolically  his  body — 
representing  the  giving  of  his  life  for  them.  In  Luke  the  words 
are,  'This  is  my  body  which  is  given  for  you'  (xxii.  19).  In 
Paul's  account  also  the  definition  '  for  you  '  is  added — '  This  is  my 
body,  which  is  for  you,'  or,  according  to  another  ancient  reading. 
'  which  is  broken  for  you '  ( 1  Cor.  xi.  24). 

23.  And  he  took  a  cup.  Which  cup  ?  Some  say  the  third  of 
the  four  cups  taken  during  the  Paschal  meal,  that  cup  being  known 
as  'the  cup  of  blessing'  ;  but  more  probably  it  was  the  cup  that 
followed  the  final  participation,  the  fourth  cup.  especially  in  view 
both  of  the  declaration  in  verse  25  and  of  the  statement  made 
at  once  by  Luke  and  by  Paul  that  it  was  'after  supper'  (Luke 
xxii.  20;   i  Cor.  xi.  25  . 

24.  This  is  my  blood.  Wine  and  blood  are  often  compared 
(Gen.  xlix.  11).  By  'this'  Jesus  means  the  wine  in  the  cup 
which  he  gave  to  the  Twelve,  and  this  wine,  he  says,  is  his  blood ; 
that  is,  is  symbolical  or  representative  of  it.  So  •  I  am  the  door' 
(John  x.  7),  &c. 

of  the  covenant.  A  better  rendering,  in  view  of  the  usage 
of  the  word,  than  the  'testament1  of  the  A.  V.  So  also  in 
Matthew.  Paul  gives  the  sentence  in  this  form — '  This  cup  is 
the  new  covenant  in  my  blood'  (1  Cor.  xi.  25).  The  words  take 
us  back  to  those  spoken  by  Moses  of  the  ancient  covenant  of  God 
with  Israel --  '  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  which  the  Lord 


322  ST.  MARK   14.  25 

I  say  unto  you,  I  will  no  more  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the 
vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

hath  made  with  you  concerning  all  these  words '  (Exod.  xxiv.  8). 
They  mean  that  Jesus  was  instituting  a  new  and  better  covenant 
than  the  Sinaitic,  and  that  it  was  to  be  ratified  by  the  blood  of 
a  better  sacrifice.  They  give  a  sacrificial  meaning,  therefore,  to 
the  death  which  was  in  his  view. 

which  is  shed  for  many.  That  is,  *  which  is  about  to  be 
shed.'  So  also  in  Matthew.  The  point  of  the  comparison  is 
given  even  yet  more  distinctly  by  Luke — •  even  that  which  is 
poured  out  for  you'  (xxii.  20).  The  pouring  out  of  the  wine 
corresponds  to  the  breaking  of  the  bread,  and  has  the  same 
reference  to  the  surrendered,  sacrificed  life  of  Jesus.  The 
sacrificial  meaning  of  his  death  and  its  expiatory  relation  to 
the  forgiveness  of  sin  are  expressed  yet  more  definitely  by 
Matthew,  who  adds  'unto  remission  of  sins'  (xxvi.  28). 

25.  I  will  no  more  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that 
day  when  I  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  Introduced 
as  they  are  by  the  solemn  formula,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  these 
words  must  be  taken  to  mean  much.  They  express  in  the  first  place 
the  fact  that  this  was  the  last  occasion  on  which  Jesus  should 
take  part  in  the  Passover  celebration.  Matthew's  more  pointed 
form,  *  I  will  not  drink  henceforth  of  this  fruit  of  the  vine'  (xxvi. 
29),  makes  it  still  clearer  that  it  was  the  wine  of  the  Paschal  meal 
Jesus  had  in  view,  that  he  had  himself  been  a  partaker  with 
others,  and  that  '  henceforth,'  from  that  present  occasion,  he 
should  do  so  no  more.  But  they  speak  in  the  second  place  of 
a  future  participation — a  day  when  he  should  drink  it  new  ('  new.' 
not  in  the  sense  of  recent  or  fresh,  but  in  that  of  another  and  better 
kind).  This  cannot  refer,  as  some  have  thought,  to  anything 
belonging  to  the  period  of  his  risen  life  on  earth,  but,  as  the 
phrase  '  in  the  kingdom  of  God '  implies,  to  the  perfected  condition 
of  things,  the  consummation  of  his  kingdom,  the  world  of  the 
future  in  which  all  things  are  to  be  made  new  (Rev.  xxi.  5). 
There  he  will  take  part  in  a  Passover  of  a  new  and  better  kind, 
in  a  fellowship  of  a  new  and  higher  order.  See  the  promise  in 
Luke  (xxii.  29,  30),  and  compare  the  parables  of  the  great  Supper 
and  the  Marriage  Feast  (Luke  xiv.  16-24  ;  Matt.  xxii.  1-14). 

Mark's  account  of  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  most 
concise  and  clear.  It  contains  no  explicit  statement  either  of  the 
memorial  purpose  of  the  Supper  or  of  its  perpetuity.  The  same 
is  the  case  with  Matthew.  But  it  does  not  follow  from  this,  as 
some  argue,  that  Jesus  had  no  intention  of  instituting  a  regular 
ordinance  and  one  to  be  perpetual!}'  observed  in  his  Church,  or 


ST.  MARK   li.  26  32;, 

And  when  they  had  sung  a  hymn,  they  went  out  unto  26 
the  mount  of  Olives. 

that  the  Lord's  Supper  as  we  know  it  is  the  creation  of  Paul.  It 
is  in  the  Pauline  account  indeed  that  we  have  the  most  express 
statement  of  the  memorial  meaning  of  the  Supper,  and  of  its 
destination  to  be  observed  till  Christ  comes  (1  Cor.  xi.  24,  25,  26}. 
But,  according  to  a  reading  which  in  any  case  is  of  primitive  origin 
and  is  accepted  by  the  Revisers  ('this  do  in  remembrance  of  me '), 
the  commemorative  purpose  is  indicated  also  by  Luke  (xxii.  19). 
The  statement  in  1  Corinthians  and  the  practice  of  the  Apostolic 
Church,  shew  how  the  Supper  was  understood  by  the  apostles 
themselves.  It  is  also  difficult  to  understand  why  Jesus  should 
have  done  what  Matthew  and  Mark  record  him  to  have  done 
in  so  solemn  a  manner,  immediately  after  the  celebration  of  the 
Paschal  meal,  in  express  connexion  with  that  sacred  commemora- 
tive ordinance,  and  in  terms  of  a  new  covenant  similar  to  the  old 
covenant  but  with  a  higher  meaning,  if  he  had  only  in  view  the 
one  occasion  and  did  not  intend  to  institute  a  regular  and  enduring 
rite. 

Tradition  has  fixed  upon  two  spots  as  the  site  of  the  '  upper 
room '  in  which  the  Passover  was  eaten  and  the  Lord's  Supper 
instituted,  namely,  (1)  on  the  side  of  the  mount  of  Olives,  not  far 
from  the  Church  of  the  Virgin  Mary  ;  and  (2)  on  the  western  hill, 
usually  called  Mount  Zion.  In  the  mosque  occupying  a  position 
on  the  latter  a  room  is  to  be  seen  which  is  described  as  'a  large, 
dreary  room  of  stone,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long  by  some  thirty  in  width. 
At  the  east  end  is  a  small  niche  in  the  wall,  which  the  Christians 
use  at  certain  seasons  as  an  altar'  (Robinson,  Bibl.  Researches, 
i.  241).  The  '  upper  room'  must  have  been  within  easy  distance 
of  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane. 

xiv.  26.  Departure  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  30  ; 
Luke  xxii.  39;  John  xviii.  1. 

28.  when  they  had  sting-  a  hymn.  Some  have  supposed  this 
to  have  been  Ps.  exxxvi.  But  in  all  probability  it  was  the  second 
part  of  the  Hallel,  which  it  was  customary  to  sing  after  the  meal. 
This  consisted  of  Psalms  exv-exviii.  Some  take  it  to  have  been 
the  great  Hallel,  Psalms  exx-exxvii. 

they  went  out.  It  was  provided  by  a  regulation  founded  on 
Exod.  xii.  22  that  the  night  after  the  Paschal  meal  should  be 
spent  in  the  city.  But  that  seems  to  have  fallen  into  abeyance 
or  to  have  been  but  partially  observed. 

the  mount  of  Olives.  There  would  be  nothing  in  this  move- 
ment to  excite  surprise.  The}'  were  going  in  the  direction  of  their 
usual  retreat  for  the  night. 

Y    2 


324  ST.  MARK   14.   27-39 

27  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  All  ye  shall  be  offended : 
for  it  is  written,  I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep 

28  shall  be  scattered  abroad.     Howbeit,  after  I  am  raised 

29  up,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee.     But  Peter  said 

xiv.  27-31.  Announcement  of  Desertion  by  the  Twelve  and  Denial 
by  Peter :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  31-35  ;  Luke  xxii.  31-34  ;  John  xiii.  36-38. 

27.  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  Matthew  says  more  de- 
finitely l  Then  saith  Jesus'  (xxvi.  31).  The  words  that  follow, 
therefore,  are  given  by  the  first  two  Evangelists  as  spoken  after 
the  party  had  left  the  supper-room.  Luke  and  John  introduce 
them  as  if  they  had  been  spoken  before  that.  Some  have  thought 
that  Jesus  spoke  thrice  of  Peter's  fall,  taking  the  occasions  reported 
respectively  by  Matthew  and  Mark,  by  Luke,  and  by  John  to  be 
distinct.  Others  suppose  that  there  was  but  one  prediction  of  that 
event,  namely,  that  reported  by  Luke  and  John,  Matthew  and 
Mark  being  understood  to  give  it  in  the  order  of  ideas  rather 
than  in  that  of  precise  time.  There  is  nothing  unreasonable, 
however,  in  supposing  that  the  announcement  was  made  twice, 
first  when  the  party  were  yet  in  the  room,  and  again  when  they 
were  on  the  way.  This  would  be  quite  in  harmony,  indeed,  both 
with  the  circumstances  and  with  Peter's  character. 

offended.  Jesus  had  often  spoken  of  offences  or  stumblings 
(Matt.  xxiv.  10  ;  Mark  iv.  17,  ix.  42  ;  Luke  vii.  23  ;  John  xvi.  1 >. 
and  had  delivered  solemn  counsels  on  the  subject  both  to  those 
hostile  to  him  and  to  uncertain,  unreliable  followers  (Matt.  xv.  12  : 
Mark  vi.  3  ;  John  vi.  61).  These  warnings  are  directed  now  to 
the  Twelve  themselves.  With  what  feelings  must  they  have  heard 
then,  all  unconscious  as  they  were  of  disloyalty  ! 

for  it  is  written.  The  dark  prediction  is  sealed  by  the  testi- 
mon3^  of  Scripture.  The  passage  that  follows  is  taken,  with  some 
modification,  from  Zechariah  (xiii.  7).  In  the  shepherd  against 
whom  the  sword  was  called  to  awake  Jesus  sees  a  representation 
of  himself,  the  true  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  divinely  appointed,  but 
also  devoted  to  death. 

28.  after  I  am  raised  up.  Another  explicit  announcement 
of  his  resurrection,  turning  the  darkness  of  the  prediction  of  his 
death  into  the  light  of  a  new  hope. 

go  before  you  into  Galilee.  The  Twelve  would  naturally 
return  to  their  own  northern  parts  when  all  was  over.  The 
assurance  that  he  would  be  there  before  them  is  meant  to  relieve 
them  of  the  gloom  into  which  the  thought  of  his  death  casts  them, 
and  to  make  the  promise  of  his  resurrection  more  real  to  them 
and  more  certain.     Cf.  also  xvi.  6.  7. 

29.  But  Peter  said  unto  him.     The  eager,  impulsive,  warm- 


ST.  MARK   H.  30-32  325 

unto  him,  Although  all  shall  be  offended,  yet  will  not 
I.     And  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  30 
that  thou  to-day,  even  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow 
twice,  shalt  deny  me  thrice.      But  he  spake  exceeding  31 
vehemently,  If  I  must  die  with  thee,  I  will  not  deny 
thee.     And  in  like  manner  also  said  they  all. 

And  they  come  unto  a  place  which  was  named  Geth-  32 

hearted  Apostle  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  such  cowardly  faith- 
lessness. For  himself,  at  any  rate,  he  will  have  nothing  of  it,  and  in 
the  haste  of  his  confident  love  he  breaks  out  into  hot,  impetuous 
words  of  repudiation.  The  protestation  is  given  substantially 
in  the  same  form  by  Matthew.  In  Luke  the  terms  are  somewhat 
different,  as  the  forewarning  itself  is  more  pointed  and  circum- 
stantial (xxii.  31-34).  The  differences  in  John's  narrative,  too, 
are  considerable,  and  point  (together  with  Luke's  account)  to  a 
different  occasion  (xiii.  36-38). 

30.  thou  to-day,  even  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice, 
shalt  deny  me  thrice.  Notice  the  significant  '  thou  '  correspond- 
ing to  Peter's  'I, 'rightly  placed  at  the  beginning  by  the  R.  V., 
though  omitted  by  the  A.  V.  In  Matthew  it  is  simply  '  before  the 
cock  crow,' or  rather,  'before  a  cock  crow,'  that  is,  before  day 
begins  to  dawn.  In  Mark  the  declaration  is  made  sharper  and 
more  pointed  by  the  more  precise  statement  of  time  ('  to-day, 
even  this  night ')  and  the  mention  of  the  twice,  the  two  successive 
notes  that  might  make  him  pause.  Cock-crowing  is  identified 
with  the  third  of  the  four  night  watches.  That  watch,  extending 
from  midnight  till  about  3  a.m.,  is  called  i  the  cock-crowing*  in 
this  Gospel  (xiii.  35).  The  first  cock-crowing,  less  certain  than 
the  second,  might  be  about  midnight ;  the  second  towards  3  a.m., 
or  at  earliest  daybreak. 

31.  But  he  spake  exceeding*  vehemently.  The  words  imply 
that  he  went  on  protesting,  and  with  the  greater  heat.  The  Lord's 
v/ords  disconcerted  and  mortified  him,  and  made  him  assert  himself 
the  more. 

And  in  like  manner  also  said  they  all.  This  is  stated  also 
in  Matthew,  though  not  in  Luke  and  John.  It  is  what  might  have 
been  expected.  The  rest  could  have  as  little  idea  as  Peter  of  a 
trial  that  would  turn  the  devotion  of  which  they  were  conscious 
at  the  time  into  timid,  selfish  flight.  They  would  be  as  ready  to 
deny  the  possibility  as  he  was,  and  his  passionate  assertions  would 
provoke  them  to  speak  as  he  did,  if  they  had  not  already  made  their 
ptotest. 

xiv.  32-42.      The  Agony  in  the  Garden:  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.   30-46; 


326  ST.  MARK   14.  33 

semane :    and  he  saith  unto  his  disciples,  Sit  ye  here, 
33  while  I  pray.     And  he  taketh  with  him  Peter  and  James 

Luke  xxii.  40-46  ;  also  John  xviii.  1.  The  fullest  accounts  of  this 
momentous  scene  are  given  by  Matthew  and  Mark.  John  does  not 
record  the  Agony.  Luke  gives  a  brief  narrative,  which  says 
nothing  of  the  choice  of  the  three,  and  speaks  only  of  one  time 
of  prayer.  On  the  other  hand  he,  and  he  alone,  introduces  the 
statements  about  the  strengthening  angel  and  the  bloody  sweat. 
The  two  verses,  however,  containing  these  statements  (xxii.  43, 
44),  though  thejr  have  a  place  in  the  text  of  the  R.  V.  as  well  as  in 
that  of  the  A.  V.,  are  omitted  by  some  of  the  most  important  of 
our  ancient  documents,  and  are  of  uncertain  authority  here. 

32.  And  thsy  come  unto  a  place  which  was  named  Geth- 
semane.  It  is  not  stated  when  the  party  left  the  upper  room  or 
when  they  arrived  at  this  place.  But  as  the  ceremonial  of  the 
Paschal  meal  began  probably  soon  after  6  p.m.,  and  lasted  some 
hours,  it  might  be  about  midnight  before  the  Twelve  were  here. 
Luke  speaks  of  the  place  as  f  the  mount  of  Olives  '  (xxii.  39),  and 
John  speaks  of  it  as  '  a  garden'  across  'the  brook  Kidron  '  (xviii.  1). 
Matthew  and  Mark  give  the  name  Gethsemane,  a  word  meaning 
'  oil-press,'  and  indicate  by  the  term  they  use  for  '  place '  that 
it  was  'an  enclosed  piece  of  ground,'  as  the  margin  of  the  R.  V. 
explains.  It  seems,  therefore,  to  have  been  an  olive  orchard  ;  and 
even  if  it  were  a  private  enclosure  or  farm  it  could  be  entered 
without  difficulty  and  without  attracting  notice.  For  during  the 
Paschal  season  nouses  and  gardens  were  open  to  the  public.  The 
traditional  site  is  some  fifty  yards  beyond  the  bridge  across  the 
Kidron.  There  a  plot  of  ground  presents  itself,  surrounded  by 
a  stone  wall  and  having  within  it  eight  olive  trees.  These  trees 
are  so  ancient  that  many  have  imagined  them  to  be  the  very  trees 
on  which  our  Lord  looked,  although  that  is  rendered  the  more 
doubtful  by  Josephus's  statement  that  during  the  siege  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus  all  the  trees  in  the  neighbourhood  were  cut  down  (Jewish 
War,  vi.  i.  n).  Be  that  as  it  may,  these  trees,  standing  there  in  the 
majesty  of  their  age  and  the  pathos  of  their  decay,  are  worthy  ol 
the  words  used  of  them  by  Dean  Stanley — '  the  most  venerable  of 
their  race  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  their  gnarled  trunks  and  scanty 
foliage  will  always  be  regarded  as  the  most  affecting  of  the  sacred 
memorials  in  or  about  Jerusalem.'  Whether  the  modern  Gethsemane 
really  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  garden,  however,  is  doubted 
by  not  a  few.  In  any  case  the  former  cannot  be  far  from  the  latter. 
Sit  ye  here,  while  I  pray.  Prayer,  solitary  prayer,  was 
the  supreme  need  of  Jesus  with  the  cross  now  in  view,  and 
in  anticipation,  as  we  may  reverently  believe,  of  the  conflict 
which    he   felt    rising   within    him.      For    that    he   sought    this 


ST.   MARK    11.   34,  35  327 

and   John,  and   began   to   be  greatly  amazed,  and  sore 
troubled.     And  he  saith  unto  them,  My  soul  is  exceeding  34 
sorrowful  even  unto  death :   abide  ye  here,  and  watch. 
And  he  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on  the  ground,  35 

place  which,  while  near  the   highway,  yet  gave  opportunity  of 
seclusion. 

From  John  (xviii.  1)  we  gather  that  the  Eleven  went  with  Jesus 
into  the  enclosure.  But  eight  of  them  were  bidden  stay  at  the 
entrance,  and  only  the  three  who  had  been  chosen  before  for  the 
most  privileged  fellowship  were  taken  further  within. 

33.  began  to  be  greatly  amazed.  The  inward  conflict  was 
immediately  upon  him,  and  it  was  so  severe  that  the  Evangelists 
seem  to  exhaust  the  vocabulary  of  struggle  and  dread  in  order  to 
express  it.  '  Greatly  amazed,'  says  Mark,  using  a  word  peculiar  to 
himself  in  the  N.  T.,  and  expressing  here  the  pain  of  a  great  shock 
as  elsewhere  the  excess  of  an  awe  that  surprises  or  overpowers 
(Mark  ix.  15,  xvi.  5,  6). 

and  sore  troubled.  Another  expressive  word,  occurring 
only  here,  in  the  parallel  in  Matthew  (xxvi.  37),  and  once  in  Paul 
(Phil.  ii.  26).  It  expresses,  as  it  is  well  put  by  Swete,  '  the  distress 
which  follows  a  great  shock,  "the  confused,  restless,  half-distracted 
state  "  Tightfoot)  which  may  be  worse  than  the  sharp  pain  of 
a  fully  realized  sorrow.'  Matthew  gives  '  sorrowful  and  sore 
troubled.' 

34.  And  he  saith  unto  them.  The  three  are  with  him.  there- 
fore, thus  far,  seeing  .all ;  and  to  them  he  utters  the  sorrow  that 
distracts  him  within,  his  human  soul  craving  to  unburden  itself  to 
others. 

My  soul.  Here  the  word  '  soul.'  so  often  used  as  equivalent 
to  t  life,'  has  the  more  definite  sense  of  the  seat  of  the  feelings  and 
emotions,  the  centre  of  all  pleasure  and  pain.  So  it  is  also  in 
John  xii.  27,  but  nowhere  else  so  distinctly  in  the  N.  T. 

exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death.  So  also  in  Matthew. 
Cf.  Ps.  xlii.  5,  6,  11,  xliii.  5.  '  Unto  death,'  that  is,  a  sorrow  that 
kill»,  a  sorrow  that  strains  life  to  the  point  of  extinction. 

abide  ye  here,  and  watch.  In  the  agonizing  passages  of 
life  men  crave  at  once  solitude  and  sympathy.  Jesus  must  be 
alone,  yet  he  would  have  these  faithful  three  near  enough  to  be 
witnesses  of  his  anguish,  and  he  would  have  their  sympathy  also, 
and  their  fellowship  in  watchful  preparation  for  the  impending 
trial. 

35.  And  he  went  forward  a  little.  Luke  gives  it  more  pre- 
cisely as  '  about  a  stone's  cast '  (xxii.  4 1  .  There  was  a  deep  in  this 
sorrow  that  even  the  three  could  not  enter,  a  stress  in  this  conflict 
which  even  they  could  not  share.     So  Abraham  separated  himself 


328  ST.   MARK    14.   36,  37 

and  prayed  that,  if  it  were  possible,  the  hour  might  pass 

36  away  from  him.     And  he  said,  Abba,  Father,  all  things 
are   possible   unto   thee ;    remove   this   cup   from   me : 

37  howbeit  not  what  I  will,  but  what  thou  wilt.     And  he 
cometh,    and   flndeth    them    sleeping,   and   saith    unto 

from  his  young  men,  and  went  alone  with  Isaac  '  yonder'  to  wor- 
ship in  his  dread  trial  (Gen.  xxii.  5). 

fell  on  the  ground.  '  On  his  face,'  says  Matthew  (xxvi.  39). 
Luke  states  simply  that  he  'kneeled  down'  (xxii.  41),  a  natural 
attitude  and  a  common  one  in  earnest  prayer  (Acts  vii.  60,  ix.  40, 
xx.  36,  xxi.  5). 

that,  if  it  were  possible,  the  hour  might  pass  away  from 
him.  The  strenuousness,  the  agony  of  his  petition  is  in  this  cry, 
'if  it  were  possible.'  The  'hour,'  that  is,  the  appointed  hour,  the 
time  ordained  for  him  in  his  Father's  counsel,  and  foreseen  by 
himself.  He  prayed  that,  if  this  must  come,  it  might  come  and  go 
without  its  anticipated  woe.  This  phrase  '  the  hour/  *  his  hour ' 
occurs  repeatedly  in  the  Fourth  Gospel,  in  more  than  one  applica- 
tion, but  usually  with  reference  to  his  death  (John  ii.  4,  vii.  30, 
viii.  ao,  xii.  23,  27,  xiii.  1,  xvii.  1). 

36.  Abba,  Father.  Two  words,  Aramaic  and  Greek,  having 
the  same  sense.  But  the  second  is  not  a  mere  explanation  of  the 
first  given  for  the  benefit  of  non-Jewish  readers.  Rather  is  the 
double  title  the  utterance  of  deep  emotion.  Strong  feeling  is  apt 
to  express  itself  in  reduplicating  terms ;  and  in  the  case  of  those 
accustomed  to  speak  at  times  an  acquired  tongue,  it  is  the  fond 
vernacular  that  springs  first  to  the  lips  in  moments  of  profound  or 
agitated  feeling.  See  how  the  new  filial  feeling  towards  God 
expresses  itself  according  to  Paul  (Rom.  viii.  15;  Gal.  iv.  6). 
Perhaps  the  double  term  had  become  a  familiar  form  in  prayer 
among  the  Palestinian  Jews.  Only  Mark  introduces  this  '  Abba, 
Father,'  and  the  only  other  occurrences  of  this  twofold  name  of 
God  are  those  two  in  the  Pauline  Epistles. 

remove  this  cup  from  me.  The  figure  of  the  'cup1  was 
used  before,  but  then,  too,  with  reference  to  his  sufferings.  See 
on  x.  38. 

howbeit  not  what  I  will,  but  what  thou  wilt.  The  longing, 
natural  to  humanity,  to  escape  pain  and  sorrow  yields  at  once 
to  the  superior  claim  of  the  Divine  will.  So  Jesus  had  a  real 
human  will  capable  of  a  conflict  with  the  Divine.  It  is  the  problem 
of  theology  to  relate  this  distinct  human  will  to  his  higher  nature, 
so  as  neither  to  take  from  the  integrity  of  his  humanity  nor  to 
ascribe  to  him  a  double  personality. 

37.  findeth  them  sleeping.    After  this  first  crisis  of  prayer  he 


ST.  MARK    14.  38,39  329 

Peter,  Simon,  sleepest  thou  ?    couldest  thou  not  watch 
one   hour?     Watch   and   pray,   that   ye  enter   not    into  38 
temptation :    the  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh 
is  weak.     And  again  he  went  away,  and  prayed,  saying  39 

seeks  again  the  fellowship  of  the  three,  but  finds  them  asleep,  his 
charge  to  watch  all  forgotten. 

Simon,  sleepest  thou?  He  selects  the  one  of  the  three  who 
had  been  loudest  in  protestation,  and  from  whom  more  was  ex- 
pected, and  calls  him  not  Peter,  but  Simon.  There  was  reproach 
in  the  use  of  the  old  name  of  nature  instead  of  the  new  name  of 
grace  and  office. 

one  hour.  Even  so  brief  a  space  as  that — only  the  third  part  of 
one  of  the  watches  of  the  night.  The  foremost  of  the  apostles  had 
not  the  strength  even  for  that !  Luke  explains  the  sleep  of  the  three 
as  due  to  sorrow  (xxii.  45)  ;  and  that  is  true  to  nature.  Heavy 
sorrow  soon  brings  exhaustion  with  it  and  deadened  sensibility. 

38.  Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not :  or,  as  in  the  margin 
of  the  R.  V.,  'Watch  ye,  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not.'  According 
to  the  former  rendering,  they  are  charged  (the  three  being  now 
addressed,  and  not  Simon  only)  both  to  be  wakeful  and  to  pray, 
that  by  these  two  things,  wakefulness  and  prayer,  they  may 
be  kept  from  giving  themselves  away  to  temptation.  According 
to  the  latter  they  are  to  be  wakeful,  and  to  make  deliverance  from 
temptation  the  subject  of  their  praj'ers.  Watchfulness  and  prayer 
are  meant  to  serve  each  other.  So  Peter  speaks  of  the  former 
(using  for  it  another  term)  as  having  the  latter  as  its  end  and  object 
(1  Pet.  iv.  7).  From  Luke  it  would  appear  that  Jesus  had  already 
charged  this  duty  of  praying  against  temptation  upon  them  when 
he  came  to  the  garden,  and  before  he  went  apart  into  its  deeper 
solitude  (xxii.  40). 

temptation.  The  great,  inclusive  term  for  all  those  things  by 
which  man  is  tried  and  proved,  whether  by  God  through  pain  and 
sorrow,  or  by  Satan  through  his  varied  solicitations  to  sin,  or  by 
the  evil  that  is  in  man  himself. 

the  spirit  indeed  is  willing*,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  The 
Lord's  apology  for  human  nature  even  when,  in  the  best,  it  fails  and 
disappoints.  He  knows  how  insufficient  the  instrument  is  through 
which  the  spirit  has  to  work.  To  understand  all  that  these  two 
things,  flesh  and  spirit,  mean,  wc  turn  to  the  Epistles  of  Paul  and 
John.  Everywhere  the  spirit  is  that  which  gives  life  and  links 
man  with  God  :  a  significant  term  in  the  O.T.,  but  with  a  meaning 
at  once  deeper  and  higher  in  the  N.  T.  Everywhere,  too,  the 
flesh  is  the  note  of  man's  limitations,  in  the  O.T.  the  designation 
of  his  dependence,  and  frailt}*,  and  mortality;  in  the  N.  T.  the 
designation    not  only  of  the  weakness  of  his    nature   as   it    now 


33©  ST.  MARK   11.  40,  41 

40  the  same  words.  And  again  he  came,  and  found  them 
sleeping,    for   their   eyes   were   very   heavy ;    and    they 

41  wist  not  what  to  answer  him.  And  he  cometh  the 
third  time,  and  saith  unto  them,  Sleep  on  now,  and 
take  your  rest :  it  is  enough ;  the  hour  is  come ;  behold, 
the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners. 

is,  but  also  more  definitely  of  its  sinfulness,  its  opposition  to  God, 
its  disinclination  to  good. 

40.  they  wist  not  what  to  answer  him.  The  second  time  he 
finds  them  faster  asleep  than  before,  and  less  masters  of  them- 
selves when  aroused.  They  were  in  a  helpless,  speechless  daze. 
It  was  a  recurrence  of  their  experience  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration. There  sudden  fear,  here  dire  sorrow,  brought  on  them 
a  drowsiness  against  which  they  could  not  struggle,  and  an 
incapacity  of  utterance. 

41.  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest.  On  the  third  occasion 
he  says  nothing  more  of  watching,  but  bids  them  sleep  and  rest ; 
for  the  time  for  watchfulness  was  gone,  so  far  as  concerned  the 
present  emergency.  There  is  more  here  than  resigned  permission 
of  the  slumber  which  had  its  excuse  in  the  weariness  of  nature. 
There  is  sorrowful  irony  in  the  words.  Jesus  had  already  em- 
ployed this  weapon  of  gentle  irony  (Mark  vii.  9).  Nor  is  there 
anything  incongruous  in  his  use  of  it  even  at  this  most  solemn 
moment  of  conflict,  prayer,  and  dread  anticipation.  '  Irony  is  not 
inconsistent  even  with  the  deepest  anguish  of  soul,  especially  in 
cases  where  such  anguish  is  also  accompanied  with  such  clearness 
of  judgement  as  we  find  in  the  present  instance ;  and  consider  what 
it  was  for  Jesus  to  see  such  overpowering  tendency  to  sleep  on 
the  part  of  his  disciples,  and  to  find  everything  so  different  from 
what  he  needed  and  might  have  reasonably  expected  ! '  (Meyer). 

it  is  enough.  Better  simply,  *  enough  ! '  A  singular  phrase, 
peculiar  to  Mark,  and  scarcely  to  be  found  anywhere  else  indeed 
in  its  present  use.  Its  point  is  by  no  means  clear.  It  may  refer 
to  the  Lord's  ironical  address  :  '  Enough  of  such  expostulation  ; 
the  time  for  that  is  past ;  the  danger  is  at  hand.'  Or  it  may  refer, 
as  most  take  it,  to  the  slumber  of  the  disciples ;  *  But  enough  of 
sleep  ;  it  is  the  time  for  action.'  So  his  tone  changes.  He  has 
caught  sight  of  the  body  of  men  wending  their  way  from  the  city, 
and  the  mood  of  sorrowful  irony  gives  way  again  to  that  of  deep 
earnestness.  The  short,  rapid,  broken  sentences  that  now  fall 
from  his  lips — enough!  the  hour  is  come  ;  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed; 
arise,  let  us  be  going — express  his  quick,  agitated  sense  of  the  crisis. 

into  the  hands  of  sinners.     The  members  of  the  Sanhedrin, 


ST.  MARK   11.  42,43  331 

Arise,  let  us  be  going  :  behold,  he  that  betrayeth  me  is  42 
at  hand. 

And  straightway,  while  he  yet  spake,  cometh  Judas,  43 
one  of  the  twelve,  and  with  him  a  multitude  with  swords 
and  staves,  from  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  and 

those  official  Jews  who  had  schemed  lor  his  life  and  would  have 
him  in  their  hands  now,  are  specially  intended. 

42.  Arise,  let  us  be  going*.  Certainly  not  with  a  view  to  flight, 
but  to  meet  the  decisive  hour  and  face  the  betrayer.  The  three 
disciples  were  still  prostrate  on  the  ground,  but  awake.  He  has 
been  standing  by  them,  and  now  bids  them  rise  and  go  with  him. 
John  states  explicitly  that  Jesus  '  went  forth  '  and  met  Judas  and 
his  band  (xviii  4  . 

The  accounts  which  the  Synoptical  Gospels  give  of  this  profound 
and  painful  passage  in  our  Lord's  experience  have  the  unmistakable 
stamp  of  reality,  and  differ  wholly  from  what  myth  or  legend  might 
have  produced.  They  record  an  Agony,  which  did  not  consist  in  mere 
physical  suffering,  nor  yet  in  mental  pain  of  an  ordinary  kind.  It 
cannot  be  explained  as  due  simply  to  the  defeat  of  his  hopes,  his 
disappointment  with  his  friends,  or  anything  of  that  kind.  It  is 
caused  by  the  anticipation  of  his  Passion;  but  it  cannot  be  understood 
as  the  mere  recoil  of  a  sensitive  spirit  from  the  prospect  of  death.  If 
that  were  all,  then  we  should  have  to  say  that  the  Lord  himself 
was  inferior  to  many  of  his  followers  in  courage,  serenity,  and 
endurance.  Can  those  intense  supplications,  those  swayings  to 
and  fro  in  perturbed  and  sorrowful  feeling, be  adequately  understood 
unless  we  see  in  him  of  whom  they  are  reported  one  who  stood 
in  a  peculiar  relation  to  God  and  to  man,  the  sinless  one  realizing 
as  no  other  could  what  death  and  sin  are,  and  himself  suffering 
for  others  • 

xiv.  43-50.  The  Betrayal  and  Arrest :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  4  7-56;  Luke 
xxii.  47-53  ;  John  xviii.  2-12. 

43.  straightway,  while  he  yet  spake,  oometh  Judas.  The 
words,  '  Arise,  let  us  be  going  :  behold,  he  that  betrayeth  me  is  at 
hand,'  were  yet  upon  the  lips  of  Jesus,  when  Judas  burst  in.  He 
had  acted  promptly,  and  had  made  his  way  easily  and  quickly  to 
the  spot.  He  was  familiar  with  the  place,  as  John  tells  us  (xviii. 
2  .  and  had  no  doubt  been  often  in  it  with  Jesus  and  his  fellow 
apostles. 

one  of  the  twelve.  The  tragic  note  in  the  designation  of 
the  traitor,  clinging  to  his  name,  and  given  here  again,  as  already 
in  verse  10.  by  all  the  three  Synoptists;  cf.  also  John  vi.  71. 

with  him  a  multitude  with  swords  and  staves.  Judas 
'went  before   them,'  says  Luke  (xxii.   47},  acting  as  guide  to  a 


33%  ST.  MARK   14.  44-47 

44  the  elders.     Now  he  that  betrayed  him  had  given  them 
a  token,  saying,  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  is   he ; 

45  take  him,  and  lead  him   away  safely.     And  when   he 
was  come,  straightway  he  came  to  him,  and  saith,  Rabbi ; 

46  and  kissed  him.     And  they  laid  hands  on  him,  and  took 

47  him.     But  a  certain  one  of  them  that  stood  by  drew  his 

crowd  sent  by  the  chief  members  of  the  Sanhedrin,  armed  against 
resistance  with  short  swords  and  clubs  or  cudgels,  such  weapons 
as  could  be  hastily  collected.  It  was  an  irregular  body  of  men, 
probably  made  up  in  the  main  of  the  Levitical  guards,  but 
supported  by  a  detachment  of  Roman  soldiers  from  the  castle 
of  Antonia.  John  mentions  explicitly  the  '  band '  or  '  cohort ' 
of  soldiers  (xviii.  3),  whose  services  the  Jewish  authorities  may 
have  secured  by  making  a  representation  to  Pilate.  These  guards 
and  Roman  soldiers  were  accompanied  also  by  servants  of  the 
high  priest  and  others,  as  is  implied  in  verses  47,  51,  including, 
as  it  appears  from  Luke  (xxii.  52),  even  members  of  the  Sanhedrin. 

44.  had  given  them  a  token.  This  had  been  arranged  before 
they  started,  therefore,  and  it  was  Judas's  own  proposal.  The 
concerted  signal  was  the  usual  salute  given  to  a  Rabbi — a  kiss. 

take  him,  and  lead  him  away  safely.  '  Seize  him,'  or 
'  arrest  him,'  'and  carry  him  off  in  custody.'  So  eager  was  Judas 
that  the  capture  should  be  effected  immediately  and  securely. 

45.  straightway  he  came  to  him.  Judas  himself  lost  no  time 
in  carrying  out  his  part  of  the  base  contract.  So  soon  as  he  saw 
Jesus  he  addressed  him  by  the  usual  name  Rabbi,  and  gave  him 
the  customary  salute,  perhaps  with  more  than  usual  fervour ; 
as  the  word  used  here,  '  kissed  him, '  may  perhaps  mean  *  kissed 
him  much '  (cf.  the  margin  of  the  R.  V.).  Mark  says  nothing  of 
any  words  directed  to  Judas.  Matthew  represents  Jesus  as 
saying  to  the  traitor,  '  Friend,  do  that  for  which  thou  art  come ' 
(xxvi.  50).  Luke  gives  the  words,  'Judas,  betrayest  thou  the 
Son  of  man  with  a  kiss?'  (xxii.  48).  John  omits  the  incident 
of  the  kiss,  and  reports  Jesus  as  going  forth  to  meet  the  crowd 
and  putting  to  them  the  question.  '  Whom  seek  ye  ? '  (xviii.  4). 

47.  But  a  certain  one  of  them.  John  tells  us  it  was  Simon 
Peter  (xviii.  10). 

drew  his  sword.  A  short  sword  or  knife.  Luke  tells  us 
that  the  eleven  had  two  swords  with  them  (xxii.  38),  and  also 
that  when  they  saw  what  was  likely  to  happen  they  asked  him 
whether  they  might  not  use  the  weapon  to  repel  the  assailants 
xxii.  49).  Peter,  in  his  impetuous  characteristic  way,  acted  on 
his  impulse,  and  struck  at  once  in  his  Master's  defence. 


ST.  MARK    14.  48-5i  333 

sword,  and  smote  the  servant   of  the  high   priest,  and 
struck  off  his  ear.     And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  48 
them,  Are  ye  come  out,  as  against  a  robber,  with  swords 
and  staves  to  seize  me  ?     I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  49 
temple  teaching,  and  ye  took  me  not :   but  this  is  do?ie 
that   the   scriptures   might  be  fulfilled.      And   they  all  50 
left  him,  and  fled. 

And  a  certain  young  man  followed  with  him,  having  51 

the  servant  of  the  high,  priest.  All  the  Evangelists  record 
this,  but  only  John  gives  the  name,  Malchifs — by  no  means  an 
unusual  name.  John,  being  acquainted  with  the  high  priest,  may 
have  at  once  recognized  the  man,  who  probably  was  taking  a 
foremost  part  in  the  seizure. 

struck  off  his  ear.  The  right  ear,  according  to  Luke  and 
John.  Neither  the  remonstrance  of  Jesus  nor  the  healing  of 
the  ear  is  recorded  by  Mark.  The  former  is  given  by  the  other 
three  Evangelists,  though  in  different  terms  (Matt.  xxvi.  53; 
Luke  xxii.  51;  John  xviii.  11).  The  latter  is  reported  only  by 
Luke  (.xxii.  51). 

48.  Are  ye  come  out,  as  against  a  robber?  A  protest  against 
a  kind  of  action  which  was  fitter  for  a  brigand  or  highwayman 
than  for  a  religious  teacher  such  as  he  was  ;  one,  too,  who  had 
been  speaking  publicly  day  after  day  in  the  temple,  whose 
character  and  doctrine  were  known  to  all,  and  who  had  given 
them  abundant  opportunity  of  apprehending  him  there,  if  they 
had  had  cause. 

49.  that  the  scriptures  might  be  fulfilled.  Referring 
probably  to  such  passages  as  Isa.  liii. 

50.  And  they  all  left  him,  and  fled.  That  is,  all  the  eleven, 
the  three  and  their  comrades.  Peter,  however,  soon  followed 
him   again,   though    'afar   off'    (Mark   xiv.    54),  and    also   John 

xviii.  15). 

xiv.  51,  52.  Incident  of  the  Young  Man.  A  picturesque  and 
interesting  episode,  peculiar  to  Mark. 

51.  a  certain  young  man  followed  with  him.  Many  vain 
conjectures  have  been  hazarded  as  to  who  this  young  man  was. 
some,  e.  g.,  supposing  him  to  have  been  James  the  Just ;  others, 
Saul  of  Tarsus,  attracted  by  curiosity ;  others,  John  ;  others,  a 
youth  from  some  farm  in  the  neighbourhood  or  from  the  house 
in  which  the  Passover  meal  had  been  eaten.  The  most  probable 
conjecture  is  that  he  was  the  Evangelist  himself.  This  would 
explain,  it  is   thought,  why  the  name  is  not  given,  and  why  an 


334  ST.  MARK   14.  52,  53 

a  linen  cloth  cast  about  him,  over  his  naked  body :  and 

52  they  lay  hold  on  him ;  but  he  left  the  linen  cloth,  and 
fled  naked. 

53  And  they  led  Jesus  away  to  the  high  priest :    and 

incident  like  this,  which  has  a  purely  personal  interest  and  stands 
in  no  essential  relation  to  the  arrest,  is  introduced  in  the  Second 
Gospel,  and  into  it  alone.  The  narrative  else  leaves  all  uncertain. 
having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about  him.  The  word  '  cloth  ' 
here  means  a  '  wrap '  or  '  shirt.'  It  may  have  been  '  a  light 
summer  "  square  "  hastily  caught  up '  (Swete),  or  rather  a  night- 
dress. The  young  man,  therefore,  may  have  been  a  disciple,  but 
he  was  not  one  of  the  Twelve,  nor  one  of  those  who  had  been  in 
the  supper-room  or  near  the  garden.  He  seems  to  have  been 
raised  out  of  sleep  by  the  noise  of  the  crowd  as  it  passed,  and  to 
have  rushed  out  to  discover  what  the  uproar  meant.  The  Evange- 
list does  not  tell  us  exactly  where  this  happened — whether  the 
young  man  had  made  his  way  along  with  the  multitude  into 
Gethsemane,  or  had  met  Jesus  in  the  street  after  the  appre- 
hension. 

52.  left  the  linen  cloth,  and  fled  naked.  Recognizing  the 
person  in  the  hands  of  the  band  to  be  Jesus,  to  whose  teaching 
he  probably  had  listened  with  interest  and  to  whom  he  had 
become  in  a  certain  measure  devoted,  he  at  once  joined  him  and 
*  followed  with  him.'  But  his  courage  sank  when  his  obtrusive 
sympathy  led  to  hands  being  laid  upon  himself,  and  he  fled  as 
precipitately  as  he  had  come.  The  A.  V.  designates  the  partisans 
who  would  have  laid  hold  of  him  'the  young  men,'  but  with- 
out sufficient  documentary  authority. 

xiv.  53-65.  The  Trial  before  the  High  Priest:  cf.  Matt.  xxvi. 
57-68  ;  Luke  xxii.  54,  63-71 ;  see  also  John  xviii.  12-14,  19-24. 

53.  And  they  led  Jesus  away  to  the  high  priest.  John  men- 
tions that  they  first  '  bound '  him.  The  three  Synoptists  agree  in 
stating  that  he  was  taken  straight  from  Gethsemane  to  the  high 
priest,  or  to  his  house.  Mark  and  Luke  do  not  give  at  this  point 
the  name  of  the  high  priest.  Matthew  says  f  to  the  house  of 
Caiaphas  the  high  priest '  (xxvi.  57);  John  says  that  they  led  him 
'to  Annas  first,'  and  gives  as  the  reason  for  this  the  fact  that 
Annas  was  '  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  which  was  high  priest  that 
year'  (xviii.  13).  The  order  of  events,  therefore,  would  seem  to 
be  this — after  the  arrest  Jesus  was  taken  first  to  Annas  ;  then  he 
was  sent  by  Annas  to  Caiaphas  ;  and  then  he  was  brought  before 
the  Sanhedrin,  and  tried  and  condemned.  Annas  was  high  priest, 
we  know,  during  a.d.  7-14;  and  Caiaphas,  or  Joseph  Caiaphas, 
held  the  office  a.  d.  18-36.    It  was  the  part,  therefore,  of  Caiaphas, 


ST.   MARK    14.   54,  55  335 

there  come  together  with  him  all  the  chief  priests  and 
the  elders  and  the  scribes.      And   Peter  had  followed  54 
him   afar  off,   even   within,  into  the  court  of  the  high 
priest ;  and  he  was  sitting  with  the  officers,  and  warm- 
ing himself  in  the  light  of 'the  fire.     Now  the  chief  priests  55 
and    the   whole   council    sought    witness    against   Jesus 

the  actual  holder  of  the  office  at  the  time,  to  conduct  any  official 
inquiry.  If  Jesus,  then,  was  subjected  to  any  examination  by 
Annas,  it  must  have  been  an  informal  and  preliminary  inquir}*,  and 
made  by  Annas  on  the  ground  of  his  experience  and  influence 
and  special  relation  to  the  responsible  official.  It  is  possible  that 
he  was  living  at  the  time  with  his  son-in-law,  occupying  with  him 
the  official  residence,  if  there  was  such. 

there  come  together  with  him.  It  was  still  very  early  in 
the  morning,  but  already  the  whole  body  of  the  chief  priests  and 
representatives  of  the  other  orders  in  the  Sanhedrin  had  been 
flocking  to  the  house,  and  now  they  came  '  with  him,'  that  is,  along 
with  Jesus  himself,  at  the  very  time  he  was  being  led  in. 

54.  Peter  had  followed  him  afar  off.  Peter  had  been  carried 
off"  with  the  rest  in  the  sudden  panic,  but  had  soon  turned  back, 
and  had  followed  at  some  distance. 

into  the  court.  He  had  even  gone  within,  into  the  open 
court,  round  which  the  rooms  of  the  residence  were  built.  He 
owed  his  admission  to  the  fact  that  he  was  with  John,  who  '  was 
known  unto  the  high  priest '  (John  xviii.  15). 

was  sitting1  with  the  officers.  Probably  with  the  Levitical 
guards,  who  had  brought  the  prisoner  in  and  were  now  seeking 
the  welcome  heat  of  the  fire.  For  the  nights  are  cold  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  especially  so  in  the  watch  preceding  sunrise. 

in  the  light  of  the  fire.  Thus  the  more  exposed  to  recog- 
nition. This  touch  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  While  Peter,  who  had 
made  his  way  within  in  his  anxiety  '  to  see  the  end '  (Matt.  xxvi. 
58  ,  sits  there  by  the  charcoal  fire  (John  xviii.  18),  which  had 
been  lit '  in  the  midst  of  the  court '  (Luke  xxii.  55),  his  Master  stood 
before  the  Jewish  authorities  in  one  of  the  rooms  above  (cf. 
verse  56). 

55.  the  chief  priests  and  the  whole  council.  It  was,  there- 
fore, a  full  meeting  of  the  great  national  council,  presided  over 
by  Caiaphas.  Mark,  along  with  Matthew  and  Luke,  omits  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  earlier,  preparatory  inquiry  before  Annas,  which  is 
recorded  by  John.  There  is  nothing  in  the  Synoptical  narratives, 
however,  to  exclude  the  occurrence  of  such  an  inquiry.  In  like 
manner  John  omits  the  particulars  of  this  trial  before  the  Sanhe- 
drin, though  he  refers  to  it  (xviii.  24,. 


336  ST.  MARK   14.  56-5S 

56  to  put  him  to  death  ;  and  found  it  not.  For  many 
bare  false  witness  against  him,  and  their  witness  agreed 

57  not  together.      And  there  stood  up  certain,  and  bare 

58  false  witness  against  him,  saying,  We  heard  him  say, 
I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is  made  with  hands, 
and  in  three  days   I   will  build  another  made  without 

sought  witness.  Comparing  the  several  narratives,  we  may 
conclude  that  Jesus  had  first  been  questioned  by  Annas,  in  con- 
sistency with  the  nature  of  a  private  inquiry,  about  matters  of  a 
more  general  kind — 'his  disciples  and  his  teaching'  (John  xviii. 
19)  ;  that  when  he  was  brought  before  Caiaphas,  the  effort  was 
made  to  prove  him  guilty  of  a  capital  offence  ;  that  with  that 
object  witnesses  had  been  got  together,  first  one  set  and  then 
another,  who  were  prepared  to  give  false  testimony  or  to  turn 
r,ome  of  his  earlier  words  against  him  ;  but  that  their  evidence 
utterly  broke  down  ;  and  that  then  Caiaphas  questioned  him  as  to 
his  Messianic  claims,  and  condemned  him  on  the  ground  of  these. 

56.  their  witness  agreed  not  tog-ether.  There  were  many 
witnesses,  but  no  two  of  the  first  set  gave  the  same  evidence. 
According  to  the  Mosaic  Law  it  required  the  consentient  testimony 
of  two  witnesses  in  order  to  establish  a  capital  charge  (Deut. 
xix.  15). 

57.  And  there  stood  up  certain.  The  court,  however,  had 
a  second  set  of  witnesses  in  reserve.  They  were  two  in  number, 
as  Matthew  states  ( xxvi.  60^,  and  now  the  court  seemed  likely  to 
succeed  in  its  object.     But  again  they  failed. 

58.  We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is 
made  with  hands,  and  in  three  days  I  will  build  another  made 
without  hands.  The  charge  was  that  he  had  made  a  statement 
in  disparagement  of  the  Temple,  and  as  if  he  would  overthrow  it. 
They  founded  it  on  the  words  which  he  spoke  at  the  beginning  of 
his  ministry  regarding  the  temple  of  his  body  (John  ii.  19).  These 
words  were  misunderstood  at  the  time.  They  were  now  misrepre- 
sented by  these  two  witnesses,  when  they  reported  him  to  have 
said,  S  I  am  able  to  destroy '  (Matt.  xxvi.  61),  '  I  will  destroy ' 
(Mark  xiv.  58),  instead  of  'Destroy  .  .  .'  and  'I  will  raise  it  up* 
(John  ii.  19),  and  to  have  contrasted  the  existing  temple  as  one 
'  made  with  hands  '  with  another  which  he  himself  was  to  build  in 
three  days  and  '  without  hands/  This,  therefore,  again  was  false 
testimony  ;  and  in  giving  it  the  two  witnesses  did  not  even  agree. 
The  statement  of  the  two  is  given  in  a  briefer  form  by  Matthew. 
It  is  omitted  by  Luke  and  John.  It  meant  one  of  the  heaviest  accu- 
sations that  could  be  brought  by  one  Jew  against  another.  Stephen 
was  afterwards  charged  with  speaking  against  the  '  holy  place  and 


ST.   MARK    L4.  b9-Gz  337 

hands.    And  not  even  so  did  their  witness  agree  together.  59 
And  the  high  priest  stood  up  in  the  midst,  and  asked  60 
Jesus,  saying,  Answerest  thou  nothing?  what  is  it  which 
these  witness  against  thee?     But  he  held  his  peace,  and  61 
answered  nothing.      Again  the  high  priest  asked  him, 
and  saith  unto  him,  Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son   of 
the  Blessed?     And  Jesus  said,  I  am:  and  ye  shall  sec  <  - 
the  Son  of  man  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  power,  and 

the  law,'  on  the  ground  that  he  had  been  heard  say  that '  this  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  shall  destroy  this  place,  and  shall  change  the  customs 
which  Moses  delivered  unto  us  '  (Acts  vi.  13,  14). 

60.  the  high  priest  stood  up  in  the  midst,  and  asked  Jesus. 
Seeing  the  case  as  it  had  been  carefully  prepared  breaking  utterly 
down,  and  chagrined  at  the  silence  of  Jesus,  Caiaphas  wished  to 
get  the  accused  himself  to  interpose,  and  'stood  up  in  the  midst' 
^another  of  Mark's  graphic  touches)  in  order  to  extract  something 
from  him  which  might  be  turned  to  use. 

61.  he  held  his  peace.  He  had  nothing  to  say  to  perjured 
witnesses  who  refuted  themselves. 

Again  the  high  priest  asked  him.  Caiaphas,  in  his  disap- 
pointment and  perplexity,  makes  a  second  attempt  to  draw  Jesus 
into  speech  that  might  compromise  him  and  help  the  futile  case. 
Now  he  asks  him  directly  whether  he  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah. 

Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Blessed  ?  According  to 
Matthew,  in  putting  this  second  question  Caiaphas  called  upon 
Jesus  to  answer  it  as  on  oath — *  I  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God' 
xxvi.  63).  'The  living  God,'  that  is,  the  God  who  can  punish  the 
false  and  perjured  (Heb.  x.  31).  The  terms  of  the  question,  '  the 
Son  of  God'  (Matt.),  '  the  Son  of  the  Blessed'  (Mark),  imply 
the  Divine  Sonship  of  the  Messiah.  The  name  given  by  Mark, 
'  the  Blessed,'  is  used  nowhere  else  in  the  N.  T.  in  this  absolute  and 
undefined  way.  It  heightens,  if  possible,  the  idea  of  the  unap- 
proachable majesty  of  God,  and  sharpens,  therefore,  the  blasphemy 
involved  in  the  claim  made  by  any  man  to  be  in  the  relation  of 
Son  to  God. 

62.  And  Jesus  said,  I  am.     In  Matthew,    '  I '!  ou  hast  said' 
xxvi.  64).    At  last  Caiaphas  succeeds,  and  Jesus  breaks  his  silence. 

For  now  it  is  not  a  question  of  false  and  discorda*  evidence,  but 
a  direct  challenge  to  declare  himself,  and  the  moment  has  come 
when  his  Messiahship,  long  held  in  reserve,  should  be  openly 
asserted. 

and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting.  '  n  Matthew  the 
words  take  the  more  definite  form — '  Henceforth   .      shall  see  the 


338  ST.  MARK   14.  63,  64 

63  coming  with  the  clouds  of  heaven.     And  the  high  priest 
rent  his  clothes,  and  saith,  What  further  need  have  \vc 

64  of  witnesses  ?     Ye   have   heard   the  blasphemy :    what 
think  ye  ?     And  they  all  condemned  him  to  be  worthy 

Son  of  man,'  that  is,  from  that  very  time  onwards  (xxvi.  64). 
Not  only  is  the  Messiahship  declared,  but  one  of  the  highest 
of  the  prerogatives  of  the  Messiah,  that  of  judgement,  is  claimed. 
It  is  his  affirmation  of  his  future  exaltation,  his  note  of  warning 
to  his  judges.  His  weakness  was  henceforth  to  be  power;  his 
dishonour  was  to  be  glory  ;  and  the  arraigned  one  was  to  be 
the  Judge.  The  words  recall  those  of  Daniel  (vii.  13)  and 
Psalm  ex,  which  were  interpreted  in  a  Messianic  sense.  'By 
the  reference  to  well-known  prophecy  respecting  the  Messiah, 
Jesus  made  his  claim  as  bold  and  plain  as  words  could  make 
it.  This  was  a  representation  of  the  Messiah  as  the  Founder  of 
a  kingdom  that  should  take  the  place  of  the  ancient  world-powers, 
and  should  continue  for  ever '  (Clarke).  And  they  would  them- 
selves come  to  perceive  this,  for  from  the  time  of  that  death  which 
they  designed  for  him  they  would  see  evidences  of  his  Messianic 
power. 

63.  rent  his  clothes.  Rending  one's  clothes  was  an  ancient 
sign  of  passionate  sorrow,  as  in  the  case  of  Jacob  (Gen.  xxxvii.  29). 
It  also  became  the  sign  of  horror  or  extreme  vexation,  as  in  the 
case  of  Eliakim,  Shebna,  and  Joah  (2  Kings  xviii.  37).  It  was 
provided  by  the  Levitical  Law  that  the  high  priest  should  not  let 
his  hair  go  loose  or  rend  his  clothes  (Lev.  x.  6,  xxi.  10).  But  this 
prohibition  had  regard  only  to  ordinary  mourning,  not  to  official 
acts  (cf.  1  Mace.  xi.  71  ;  Joseph.  Jewish  War,  ii.  xv.  4).  '  The 
pain  of  the  high  priest  no  doubt  represented  the  genuine  vexation 
of  one  who  was  deeply  moved ;  but  the  judgement  which  he 
formed  regarding  Jesus  was  based  on  the  assumption  that  he  was 
not  the  Messiah,  and  indicates  a  predisposition  to  find  him  guilty 
of  the  capital  charge'  (Meyer). 

What  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses  ?  Caiaphas  sees 
his  way  clear  new,  all  the  trouble  in  securing  presentable  evidence 
gone,  and  the  Prisoner  incriminated  by  his  own  confession. 

64.  what  thi;  .c  ye?  There  is  no  thought  of  inquiring  into 
his  Messianic  claims,  as  there  had  been  no  thought  of  hearing 
exculpatory  evidence  earlier.  Caiaphas  calls  for  the  vote  of  the 
court,  and  in  the  Sanhedrin  the  answer  was  simply  'for  life'  or 
'  for  death.' 

they  all  condemned  him  to  he  worthy  of  death.  Legally 
the  Jewish  coi  had  no  power  to  give  effect  to  a  sentence  of 
death.      Thai      as  reserved  for  the  Roman  authority.     But  the 


ST.  MARK   M.  05  339 

of  death.     And  some  began  to  spit  on  him,  and  to  cover  6,-s 
his  face,  and  to  buffet  him,  and  to  say  unto  him,  Prophesy: 
and  the  officers  received  him  with  blows  of  their  hands. 

Jewish  court  could  declare  one  liable  to  the  death  penalty,  and 
have  their  decision  confirmed.  The  members  were  at  one  in  their 
judgement.  We  may  infer  that  men  like  Joseph  of  Arimathaia, 
who  '  had  not  consented  to  their  counsel  and  deed '  Luke  xxiii. 
51),  and  Nicodemus,  who  at  an  earlier  date  had  put  to  the  Pharisees 
the  question,  *  Doth  our  law  judge  a  man,  except  it  first  hear  from 
himself  and  know  what  he  doeth?'  (John  vii.  50,  51),  were  not 
present  or  took  no  part  in  the  proceedings.  The  penalty  for 
blasphemy,  according  to  the  Mosaic  Law,  was  death,  the  Jewish 
mode  of  carrying  it  out  being  by  stoning  (Lev.  xxiv.  16;  1  Kings 
xxi.  10;  John  x.  30;  Acts  vii.  58}. 

65.  some  began  to  spit  on  him.  There  would  be  a  pause  after 
the  giving  of  the  verdict  of  guilty  of  death,  and  the  authorities 
would  have  to  consider  further  procedure  ^cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  1). 
Some  time  would  elapse  before  Jesus  was  removed  and  steps 
taken  to  get  the  sentence  confirmed.  During  this  interval  Jesus 
would  be  exposed  to  those  outrages  which  it  was  customary  to 
inflict  on  a  condemned  prisoner  in  those  days.  The  'some'  who 
indulged  in  these  indignities  must  have  been  certain  members 
of  the  Sanhedrin  or  the  guards  who  held  Jesus.  Spitting  was 
a  Jewish  way  of  shewing  utmost  contempt  and  abhorrence  (cf. 
Num.  xii.  14  ;  Deut.  xxv.  9).  Seneca  notices  it  as  an  exceptional 
thing  that  a  man  was  found  to  spit  in  the  face  of  Aristides  the  Just 
at  Athens  when  he  was  brought  to  punishment.  Luke  introduces 
these  indignities  as  if  they  had  taken  place  before  the  meeting  of 
the  council  ^xxii.  63-65). 

and  to  cover  his  face.  The  Romans  were  in  the  habit  of 
covering  the  heads  of  condemned  criminals.  This  is  omitted  by 
Matthew. 

and  to  buffet  him.  That  is,  to  strike  him  with  the  fist.  The 
word  is  used  twice  by  Paul  (1  Cor.  iv.  11 ;  2  Cor.  xii.  7),  and  once 
by  Peter  (1  Pet.  ii.  20).  In  ancient  times  Micaiah  the  prophet 
had  been  smitten  on  the  check  by  Zedekiah  the  son  of  Chenaanah 
(1  Kings  xxii.  24. 

and  to  say  unto  him,  Prophesy.  Matthew  makes  the 
meaning  of  this  clearer — '  Prophesy  unto  us,  thou  Christ  :  who  is 
he  that  struck  thee  ? '    xxvi.  68). 

and  the  officers:  or  'attendants.1  those,  namely,  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  They  followed  the  evil  example  of  the  members  of 
the  council,  but  had  their  own  way  of  expressing  their  passion. 

received  him  with  blows  of  their  hands :  or,  as  in  the 
margin  of  the  R.V.,  'with  strokes  of  rods.'      The  word  means 

Z    2 


340  ST.   MARK    14.  66-68 

66  And  as  Peter  was  beneath  in  the  court,  there  cometh 

67  one  of  the  maids  of  the  high  priest ;   and  seeing  Peter 
warming  himself,  she  looked  upon  him,  and  saith,  Thou 

68  also  wast  with  the  Nazarene,  even  Jesus.     But  he  denied, 
saying,  I  neither  know,  nor  understand  what  thou  sayest : 

either  strokes  with  sticks,  or  slaps  in  the  face  with  the  open  hand. 
The  fact  that  this  form  of  abuse  seems  to  be  distinguished  from 
the  buffeting  points  to  the  former.     Cf.  Isa.  1.  6. 

xiv.  66-72.  Peter's  Denials :  cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  69-75 ;  Luke  xxii. 
56-62  ;  John  xviii.  25-27. 

66.  And  as  Peter  was  "beneath  in  the  court.  i  An  oriental 
house  is  usually  built  around  a  quadrangular  interior  court,  into 
which  there  is  a  passage  (sometimes  arched)  through  the  front  part 
of  the  house,  closed  next  the  street  by  a  heavy  folding-gate  with 
a  smaller  wicket,  kept  by  a  porter'  (Robinson,  Harmony,  225); 
The  '  court,'  or,  as  it  is  variously  rendered  in  the  A.  V.,  the  'palace 
or  the  'hall,'  is  this  interior  area,  open  to  the  sky,  and  in  the 
present  case  no  doubt  paved.  Here  the  fire  had  been  lit  by  the 
servants,  and  here  Peter  stood,  while  his  Master  was  before 
the  high  priest  in  the  regular  council-chamber  or  in  some  other 
audience-room  somewhat  higher  than  the  central  area  and  looking 
into  it.  The  palace  of  the  high  priest  was  on  the  north-east 
corner  of  mount  Zion.  So  Peter  was  '  beneath '  as  Mark  says,  and 
'  without '  as  Matthew  notices. 

one  of  the  maids.  One  of  the  slave-girls  employed  in  the  high 
priest's  household  ;  the  term  used  also  of  Rhoda  (Acts  xii.  13),  and 
of  the  soothsaying  girl  at  Philippi  (Acts  xvi.  16). 

67.  seeing1  Peter  warming'  himself,  she  looked  upon  him. 
John  speaks  of  the  maid  'that  kept  the  door*  (xviii.  17).  The 
portress,  therefore,  as  it  seems,  had  noticed  Peter  when  she  gave 
him  admission  at  John's  request ;  her  attention  had  been  attracted  to 
him  again  as  he  stood  in  the  light  of  the  fire.  Looking  observingly 
upon  him,  and  recognizing  him,  she  crossed  from  the  gate  to  where 
he  was  standing,  and  charged  him  with  being  with  Jesus.  The 
words  of  the  maid  are  given  with  considerable  variation  by  the 
several  Evangelists,  but  with  the  same  sense.  The  form  in  Mark, 
'the  Nazarene — Jesus,' admirably  reproduces  the  hasty,  broken 
exclamation  of  the  maid. 

68.  neither  know,  nor  understand.  Peter's  reply  is  given  in 
various  forms  in  the  four  reports,  but  again  with  substantially  the 
same  sense.  The  double  negation  in  Mark  reflects  the  precipitancy 
and  absoluteness  of  the  denial.  Peter  disowns  all  knowledge  of 
the  Nazarene,  all  consciousness  even  of  what  the  charge  meant. 


ST.  MARK    1  1.  69,70  341 

and  he  went  out  into  the  porch ;    and  the  cock  crew. 
And  the  maid  saw  him,  and  began  again  to  say  to  them  69 
that  stood  by,  This  is  one  of  them.     But  he  again  denied  70 
it.    And  after  a  little  while  again  they  that  stood  by  said 

The  margin  of  the  R.V.  brings  this  out  still  more  forcibly:  'I 
neither  know,  nor  understand  ;  thou,  what  sayest  thou  ? ' 

into  the  porch.  His  uneasiness  and  embarrassment  make 
him  change  his  position  from  the  brightness  of  the  fire  to  the 
darkness  of  the  vestibule  or  passage  that  led  from  the  street-door 
to  the  court. 

and  the  cock  crew.  This  clause  is  omitted  by  some  of  the 
best  and  most  ancient  of  our  documentary  authorities. 

69.  And  the  maid  saw  him.  The  four  reports  differ  in  the 
particulars  of  Peter's  denials,  as  regards  the  persons  and  the  posi- 
tions as  well  as  the  terms  of  the  accusations  and  the  replies.  It  is 
difficult,  therefore,  to  construct  an  entirely  consistent  narrative, 
or  to  say  with  certainty  at  what  point  or  even  in  what  place  the 
various  denials  occurred.  The  second  charge  or  question  is  stated 
by  Matthew  to  have  been  made  by  ;  another  maid '  :  by  Mark,  by 
the  same  maid  as  is  first  introduced ;  while  John's  version  is, 
•they  said  therefore  unto  him'  (xviii.  25).  If  we  follow  Mark's 
account,  it  will  appear  that  the  maid  who  'kept  the  door' had 
returned  to  her  post  of  dut}^  in  the  porch,  and  repeated  her  charge 
there,  directing  the  attention  of  the  people  who  stood  about  there 
to  Peter.  '  But  in  the  several  narratives  it  is  plain  that  it  is  not 
deemed  important  to  specify  who  addressed  Peter ;  the  important 
point  is  his  denials.  The  matter  may  very  naturally  be  thus 
arranged  :  the  damsel  who  first  accused  him,  silenced  for  the  time, 
but  not  satisfied  with  his  denial,  speaks  to  another  maidservant 
and  points  out  Peter  to  her  as  one  whom  she  knew  or  believed  to 
be  a  disciple,  and  the  other  maid  repeats  it.  Others,  hearing  the 
women,  also  join  with  them,  perhaps  dimly  remembering  his 
person,  or  now  noting  something  peculiar  in  his  manner.  That, 
under  the  circumstances  and  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
such  an  accusation,  once  raised,  should  be  echoed  by  many,  is 
what  we  should  expect.  During  the  confusion  of  this  questioning 
Peter  returns  again  to  the  fire  in  the  interior  of  the  court  where 
most  were  standing,  and  there  repeats  with  an  oath  his  denial ' 
(Andrews,  The  Life  of  our  Lord,  p.  520). 

70.  Bnt  he  again  denied  it.  Matthew  tells  us  that  this  second 
denial  was  uttered  '  with  an  oath.' 

And  after  a  little  while.    So  also  Matthew.    But  Luke  gives 
the  interval  more  explicitly  as  'after  the  space  of  about  one  hour' 
xxii.  59). 

they  that  stood  by.    So  also  in  Matthew  ;  Luke  gives  simply 


342  ST.  MARK    14. 


/  J3    / 


to  Peter,  Of  a  truth  thou  art  one  of  them ;   for  thou  art 

71  a  Galilaean.    But  he  began  to  curse,  and  to  swear,  I  know 

72  not  this  man  of  whom  ye  speak.  And  straightway  the 
second  time  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter  called  to  mind 
the  word,  how  that  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Before  the  cock 
crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  when  he 
thought  thereon,  he  wept. 

1  another.'  John  notices  that  at  this  point  the  accusation  against 
Peter  was  made  in  the  most  definite  terms  by  a  slave  related  to 
Malchus,  who  could  confirm  all  that  had  been  said  by  others:  f  One 
of  the  servants  of  the  high  priest,  being  a  kinsman  of  him  whose 
ear  Peter  cut  off,  saith,  Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him  ? ' 
(xviii.  26). 

for  thou  art  a  Galilaean.  '  Thy  speech  bewrayeth  thee,'  sa3^s 
Matthew.  The  people  of  Northern  Palestine  had  peculiarities 
of  speech  by  which  they  were  easily  distinguished  from  those  of 
Judaea.  Their  speech  had  a  certain  roughness  or  thickness,  and 
they  had  difficulty  in  pronouncing  the  gutturals  and  the  th  sounds. 

71.  he  began  to  curse,  and  to  swear.  To  'curse,'  that  is,  to 
call  down  an  anathema  upon  himself  if  his  denials  were  not  true 
(cf.  Acts  xxiii.  12).  Caught  at  his  weakest  moment,  when  his 
moral  courage  was  lowered  and  confused  by  surprise  and  the 
shock  of  a  dire  disappointment,  and  drawn  bj'  the  force  of 
circumstances  too  strong  for  him  at  the  time  from  one  false  step 
to  another,  Peter  plunges,  desperate  and  reckless,  into  this  last 
depth  of  falsehood  and  disloyalty. 

72.  straightway  the  second  time  the  cock  crew.  •  Imme- 
diately, while  he  yet  spake,'  says  Luke  (xxii.  60).  It  was  at  the 
very  moment  of  the  utterance  of  his  third  denial,  when  the  oaths 
and  curses  were  j^et  upon  his  lips,  that  Peter  heard  the  fateful 
cock-crow  that  again  changed  all  for  him. 

called  to  mind.  For  the  time  he  had  forgotten  what  Jesus 
had  said  in  forewarning  him.  Now  it  leaps  back  into  his  recollec- 
tion, and  breaks  him  down.  Luke  alone  notices  the  fact  that '  the 
Lord  turned,  and  looked  upon  Peter'  (xxii.  61). 

when  he  thought  thereon.  The  Greek  word  is  of  uncertain 
meaning.  It  has  been  variously  rendered  '  he  turned  his  eyes  on 
Jesus'  (but  it  was  Jesus  who  turned  his  eye  on  Peter) ;  '  he  began ' 
i.  e.  to  weep  ;  •  he  continued  weeping ' ;  '  he  added  weeping  to 
weeping' ;  'he  flung  himself  forth ' ;  he  '  drew  his  mantle  over  his 
head.'  But  the  most  probable  rendering  is  that  adopted  both  by 
the  A.  V.  and  by  the  R.  V.,  '  he  thought  thereon.' 

he  wept.     The  word  expresses  loud  continual  weeping.    The 


ST.   MARK    15.    1,2  343 

And  straightway  in  the  morning  the  chief  priests  with  15 
the   elders   and   scribes,   and   the   whole   council,  held 
a  consultation,  and  bound  Jesus,  and  carried  him  away, 
and  delivered  him  up  to  Pilate.     And  Pilate  asked  him,  2 

Master's  word  of  warning;  which  had  rushed  back  into  Peter's 
memory  was  thought  over.  As  its  pathetic  circumstances  and 
all  that  it  meant  rose  upon  his  mind  he  was  utterly  broken,  and 

*  went  out,'  as  Luke  tells  us,  to  be  alone  with  himself  in  tearful,  pas- 
sionate penitence. 

xv.  1-15.  The  Trial  before  Pilate:  cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  1-26;  Luke 
xxiii.  1-5,  13-25  ;  John  xviii.  28-40,  xix.  4-16. 

1.  straightway  in  the  morning".  After  being  taken  from 
Annas  to  Caiaphas  and  subjected  to  a  preliminary  questioning  by 
the  latter,  Jesus  was  brought  before  the  Sanhedrin  in  the  council- 
chamber  of  Caiaphas,  probably  at  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  formally  tried  and  condemned.  The  Sanhedrin, 
having  so  far  done  their  work,  had  adjourned.  But  they  now 
assemble  again  at  break  of  day,  in  order  to  consult  how  to  bring 
Jesus  before  the  Roman  procurator,  who  alone  had  the  power  of 
the  sword.  "The  chief  priests,'  says  Mark,  'with  the  elders  and 
scribes,  and  the  whole  council.'  The  hierarchy,  therefore,  took 
the  lead  in  the  proceedings,  but  the  other  orders  were  at  one 
with  them,  and  what  followed  the  consultation  was  the  act  of  the 
whole  council. 

bound  Jesus  .  .  .  delivered  him  up  to  Pilate.  The  Feast 
had  begun.  The  risk  of  an  outbreak  when  the  adherents  of  Jesus 
gathered  in  their  numbers  was  great.  The  Jewish  authorities, 
knowingthat  there  was  no  time  to  lose  if  they  were  to  escape  such 
dangers,  took  instant  action,  and  carried  off  their  prisoner  securely 
bound  at  once  to  Pilate.  The  Evangelists  give  only  general 
indications  of  the  time — 'when  morning  was  come*  (Matthew \ 

•  in  the  morning'  (Mark),  '  as  soon  as  it  was  day  '  (Luke ),  '  it  was 
early'  (John).  But  as  Roman  courts  did  not  meet  before  sunrise, 
and  gave  no  judgement  before  6  a.m.,  it  was  probably  5  or  6  a.m. 
when  Jesus  was  taken  before  the  Roman  Procurator.  John  states 
that  he  was  led  into  'the  palace'  or pra-torium  (xviii.  28).  It  is 
difficult  to  say  whether  the  place  in  question  was  the  palace  of 
Herod  the  Great,  a  magnificent  marble  structure  on  the  north  side 
of  Zion,  occupied  for  the  time  by  Pilate,  or  the  fortress  of  Antonia 
or  a  residence  near  that. 

Pilate.  On  the  deposition  and  banishment  of  Archelaus  in 
a.  d.  6,  Judaea  was  united  to  Syria  and  put  under  the  a\vi  irity  of  the 
Syrian  governor  or  legate.  But,  subject  to  this  overlordship,  it  was 
ruled  immediately  by  a  procurator  sent  from  Rome  (Joseph.  Antiq. 


342  ST.   MARK    14.  71,72 

to  Peter,  Of  a  truth  thou  art  one  of  them ;   for  thou  art 

71  a  Galilaean.    But  he  began  to  curse,  and  to  swear,  I  know 

72  not  this  man  of  whom  ye  speak.  And  straightway  the 
second  time  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter  called  to  mind 
the  word,  how  that  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Before  the  cock 
crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  when  he 
thought  thereon,  he  wept. 

'  another.'  John  notices  that  at  this  point  the  accusation  against 
Peter  was  made  in  the  most  definite  terms  by  a  slave  related  to 
Malchus,  who  could  confirm  all  that  had  been  said  by  others:  f  One 
of  the  servants  of  the  high  priest,  being  a  kinsman  of  him  whose 
ear  Peter  cut  off,  saith,  Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him  ? ' 
(xviii.  26). 

for  thou  art  a  Galilaean.  '  Thy  speech  bewrayeth  thee/  sa3?s 
Matthew.  The  people  of  Northern  Palestine  had  peculiarities 
of  speech  by  which  they  were  easily  distinguished  from  those  of 
Judaea.  Their  speech  had  a  certain  roughness  or  thickness,  and 
they  had  difficulty  in  pronouncing  the  gutturals  and  the  th  sounds. 

71.  he  began  to  curse,  and  to  swear.  To  i  curse,'  that  is,  to 
call  down  an  anathema  upon  himself  if  his  denials  were  not  true 
fcf.  Acts  xxiii.  12).  Caught  at  his  weakest  moment,  when  his 
moral  courage  was  lowered  and  confused  by  surprise  and  the 
shock  of  a  dire  disappointment,  and  drawn  bj'  the  force  of 
circumstances  too  strong  for  him  at  the  time  from  one  false  step 
to  another,  Peter  plunges,  desperate  and  reckless,  into  this  last 
depth  of  falsehood  and  disloyalty. 

72.  straightway  the  second  time  the  cock  crew.  •  Imme- 
diately, while  he  yet  spake/  says  Luke  (xxii.  60).  It  was  at  the 
very  moment  of  the  utterance  of  his  third  denial,  when  the  oaths 
and  curses  were  3'et  upon  his  lips,  that  Peter  heard  the  fateful 
cock-crow  that  again  changed  all  for  him. 

called  to  mind.  For  the  time  he  had  forgotten  what  Jesus 
had  said  in  forewarning  him.  Now  it  leaps  back  into  his  recollec- 
tion, and  breaks  him  down.  Luke  alone  notices  the  fact  that  'the 
Lord  turned,  and  looked  upon  Peter'  (xxii.  61). 

when  he  thought  thereon.  The  Greek  word  is  of  uncertain 
meaning.  It  has  been  variously  rendered  '  he  turned  his  eyes  on 
Jesus'  (but  it  was  Jesus  who  turned  his  eye  on  Peter)  ;  '  he  began ' 
i.  e.  to  weep  ;  '  he  continued  weeping  ' ;  '  he  added  weeping  to 
weeping' ;  'he  flung  himself  forth' ;  he '  drew  his  mantle  over  his 
head.'  But  the  most  probable  rendering  is  that  adopted  both  by 
the  A.  V.  and  by  the  R.  V.,  '  he  thought  thereon.' 

he  wept.     The  word  expresses  loud  continual  weeping.    The 


ST.   MARK    15.    1,2  343 

And  straightway  in  the  morning  the  chief  priests  with  15 
the   elders   and   scribes,   and   the   whole   council,  held 
a  consultation,  and  bound  Jesus,  and  carried  him  away, 
and  delivered  him  up  to  Pilate.     And  Pilate  asked  him,  a 


Master's  word  of  warning  which  had  rushed  back  into  Peter's 
memory  was  thought  over.  As  its  pathetic  circumstances  and 
all  that  it  meant  rose  upon  his  mind  he  was  utterly  broken,  and 
'  went  out,'  as  Luke  tells  us,  to  be  alone  with  himself  in  tearful,  pas- 
sionate penitence. 

xv.  1-15.  The  Trial  before  Pilate  :  cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  1-26  ;  Luke 
xxiii.  1-5,  13-25  ;  John  xviii.  28-40,  xix.  4-16. 

1.  straightway  in  the  morning.  After  being  taken  from 
Annas  to  Caiaphas  and  subjected  to  a  preliminary  questioning  by 
the  latter,  Jesus  was  brought  before  the  Sanhedrin  in  the  council- 
chamber  of  Caiaphas,  probably  at  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  formally  tried  and  condemned.  The  Sanhedrin, 
having  so  far  done  their  work,  had  adjourned.  But  they  now 
assemble  again  at  break  of  day,  in  order  to  consult  how  to  bring 
Jesus  before  the  Roman  procurator,  who  alone  had  the  power  of 
the  sword.  •  The  chief  priests,'  says  Mark,  '  with  the  elders  and 
scribes,  and  the  whole  council.'  The  hierarchy,  therefore,  took 
the  lead  in  the  proceedings,  but  the  other  orders  were  at  one 
with  them,  and  what  followed  the  consultation  was  the  act  of  the 
whole  council. 

bound  Jesus  .  .  .  delivered  him  up  to  Pilate.  The  Feast 
had  begun.  The  risk  of  an  outbreak  when  the  adherents  of  Jesus 
gathered  in  their  numbers  was  great.  The  Jewish  authorities, 
knowing  that  there  was  no  time  to  lose  if  they  were  to  escape  such 
dangers,  took  instant  action,  and  carried  off  their  prisoner  securely 
bound  at  once  to  Pilate.  The  Evangelists  give  only  general 
indications  of  the  time — 'when  morning  was  come'  (Matthew \ 
•  in  the  morning'  (Mark),  '  as  soon  as  it  was  day  '  (Luke\  '  it  was 
early '  (John).  But  as  Roman  courts  did  not  meet  before  sunrise, 
snd  gave  no  judgement  before  6  a.m.,  it  was  probably  5  or  6  a.m. 
when  Jesus  was  taken  before  the  Roman  Procurator.  John  states 
that  he  was  led  into  'the  palace'  or prcetorium  (xviii.  28).  It  is 
difficult  to  say  whether  the  place  in  question  was  the  palace  of 
Herod  the  Great,  a  magnificent  marble  structure  on  the  north  side 
of  Zion,  occupied  for  the  time  by  Pilate,  or  the  fortress  of  Antonia 
or  a  residence  near  that. 

Pilate.  On  the  deposition  and  banishment  of  Archelaus  in 
a.  d.  6,  Juda=ra  was  united  to  Syria  and  put  under  the  au£fc>rkyof  the 
Syrian  governor  or  legate.  But,  subject  to  this  overlordship,  it  was 
ruled  immediately  by  a  procurator  sent  from  Rome  (Joseph.  Antiq. 


344  ST,  MARK   15.  3 

Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?    And  he  answering  saith 
3  unto  him,  Thou  sayest.     And  the  chief  priests  accused 

xvii.  xiii.  5,  xviii.  i.  1 ,  Jewish  War,  ii.  viii.  1).  The  procurator  lived 
at  Caesarea  on  the  Sea  (Acts  xxiii.  23  ;  Joseph.  Jewish  War,  ii.  ix. 
2],  but  came  up  to  Jerusalem  at  the  Passover  season  in  order  to 
keep  order.  The  fifth  in  the  series  of  procurators  of  Judaea  was 
Pontius  Pilate,  who  succeeded  Valerius  Gratus  in  a.d.  25-26,  and 
brought  with  him  into  Palestine  his  wife  Procla  or  Claudia  Procula. 
He  is  referred  to,  not  only  in  the  narratives  of  Passion  Week,  but 
elsewhere  in  the  N.  T.  (Luke  iii.  1,  xiii.  1  ;  Acts  iv.  27  ;  1  Tim.  vi. 
13),  and  is  named  by  the  Roman  historian  Tacitus  as  the  '  pro- 
curator by  whom,  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  Christ  had  been  punished  ' 
{Annals,  xv.  44).  His  character  is  drawn  both  by  Josephus 
(Antiq.  xviii,  Jewish  JVar,  ii.  ix.  2ff.)  and  by  Philo  the  Jew  (De 
Leg.  38).  The  latter  represents  him  as  given  over,  in  his  public  life, 
to  rapacity,  corruption,  ruthlessness,  and  all  manner  of  oppression 
and  wrong.  The  N.  T.  indicates  the  savage  cruelty  of  his  rule 
(Luke  xiii.  1).  It  represents  him  at  the  same  time  as  having 
something  of  the  sense  of  justice  proper  to  a  Roman  judge, 
though  vacillating  in  purpose  and  not  strong  enough  to  give  effect 
to  it  in  opposition  to  the  pressure  put  upon  him  by  the  relentless 
Jews. 

2.  asked  him,  Art  thou  the  King"  of  the  Jews?  Pilate  met 
the  Jews  outside ;  as  John  explains,  because  they  were  too 
scrupulous  to  enter  the  palace  of  the  heathen  ruler,  lest  they  should 
be  defiled  and  so  prevented  from  taking  part  in  the  Passover. 
After  this  first  interview  with  the  Jewish  authorities  Pilate  entered 
the  palace  again,  and  summoning  Jesus  before  him  (John  xviii.  33), 
put  to  him  the  question  recorded  by  all  the  four  Evangelists. 
How  did  Pilate  come  to  put  such  a  question  to  Jesus?  The  answer 
probably  is  that  the  Jews  had  charged  Jesus  with  making  regal 
claims,  giving  the  Messianic  title  '  King  of  the  Jews '  a  political 
meaning.  This  accords  with  the  fuller  statement  which  Luke 
gives  of  the  accusation  as  one  essentially  of  sedition  :  '  We  found 
this  man  perverting  our  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to 
Caesar,  and  sa}'ing  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  king'  (xxiii.  2). 
The  question  was  a  private  and  preliminary  one,  and  its  form 
suggests,  as  Westcott  thinks,  'a  feeling  of  surprise  on  the  part 
of  the  questioner.' 

Thou  sayest:  an  affirmative  reply,  calmly  given.  John 
shews  us  how  Jesus  first  asked  Pilate  why  he  put  such  a  question 
to  him,  and  then  explained  in  what  sense  he  claimed  to  be  king 
and  whatovanner  of  kingdom  his  was  (xviii.  34-38). 

3.  the  chief  priests  accused  him  of  many  thing's.  The 
Jewish  officials  remain  without,  and  begin  to  be  joined  by  the 


ST.  MARK    15.  4-7  345 

him  of  many  things.     And  Pilate  again  asked  him,  saying,  4 
answerest  thou  nothing  ?  behold  how  many  things  they 
accuse  thee  of.     But  Jesus  no  more  answered  anything  ;  5 
insomuch  that  Pilate  marvelled. 

Now  at  the  feast  he  used  to  release  unto  them  one  6 
prisoner,  whom  they  asked  of  him.     And  there  was  one  7 


mob  (Luke  xxiii.  4).  After  the  brief,  private  inquiry,  Pilate  comes 
forth  again,  and  gives  the  Jews  to  understand,  as  Luke  (xxiii.  4) 
and  John  (xviii.  38  tell  us,  that  he  found  no  fault  in  the  accused. 
This  provokes  a  fresh  burst  of  accusations  on  the  part  of  the  Jews, 
who  clamour  with  furious  insistence  about  his  stirring  up  the 
people, '  teaching  throughout  all  Judaea,  and  beginning  from  Galilee 
even  unto  this  place '  (Luke  xxiii.  5). 

4.  Pilate  again  asked  him.  His  conviction  of  the  innocence 
of  Jesus  being  perhaps  somewhat  shaken  by  these  new  and 
serious  charges,  Pilate  further  questions  him,  but  elicits  no  reply. 
The  governor  marvels  at  the  tranquil,  dignified  silence  maintained 
by  Jesus  in  the  face  of  the  fierce  storm  of  accusations.  He  is 
embarrassed  ;  and,  as  Luke  suggests,  who  introduces  here  his 
report  of  the  compearance  before  Herod,  he  catches  at  the  mention 
of  Galilee  as  the  scene  of  the  first  teaching  of  Jesus.  He  asks 
more  particularly  about  this,  and  learning  from  the  accusers  them- 
selves that  Jesus  was  'of  Herod's  jurisdiction,1  he  sends  him  on 
to  that  prince.  But  Herod  sent  him  back  to  Pilate  (Luke  xxiii. 
6-12). 

6.  Now  at  the  feast  he  used  to  release  unto  them  one 
prisoner.  Some  have  taken  this  to  mean  that  at  each  of  the 
great  festivals  the  custom  was  to  release  a  prisoner.  But  the 
reference  is  to  the  Passover  feast,  as  John  explains  (xviii.  39).  Of 
the  custom  itself  nothing  definite  is  known  be3Tond  what  is  stated 
here.  There  is  no  mention  of  it  in  the  later  Jewish  writings.  It  is 
supposed  by  some  to  have  originated  in  the  Maccabean  age,  or 
even  at  an  earlier  period  than  that.  Others  think  it  was  intro- 
duced by  the  Romans  with  a  view  to  conciliating  the  Jews. 

whom  they  asked  of  him.  The  point  of  the  concession  la}' 
in  the  fact  that  the  selection  of  the  prisoner  was  left  to  the  Jews 
themselves.  Pilate's  second  expedient  for  relief  was  to  take 
advantage  of  this  custom.  Comparing  the  several  narratives,  we 
see  that,  when  Jesus  was  sent  back  by  Herod,  Pilate  called  the 
Jewish  authorities  and  the  people  together  again  (Luke  xxiii.  13), 
and  seated  himself  upon  the  judgement-seat  'Matt,  xxvii.  19%  with 
the  intention  of  declaring  Jesus  guiltless  and  ending  the  trial.  It 
was  the  custom  for  the  procurator,  when  lie  was  to  give  his  judge- 


346  ST.  MARK   15.  8-10 

called  Barabbas,  lying  bound  with  them  that  had  made 
insurrection,  men  who  in  the  insurrection  had  committed 

8  murder.     And  the  multitude  went  up  and  began  to  ask 

9  him  to  do  as  he  was  wont  to  do  unto  them.     And  Pilate 
answered  them,  saying,  Will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you 

10  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?     For  he  perceived  that  for  envy 


ment  in  a  trial,  to  take  his  seat  on  a  movable  tribunal.  In  the 
present  case,  as  -we  learn  from  John,  this  tribunal  was  set  up  '  at 
a  place  called  The  Pavement,  but  in  Hebrew,  Gabbatha '  (xix.  13). 
Here  Pilate  formally  declares  that  neither  he  nor  Herod  found 
any  fault  in  the  accused,  and  announces  his  intention  to  scourge 
him  and  then  to  release  him.  His  idea  probably  was  to  set  Jesus 
free  under  the  custom  referred  to,  but  without  consulting  the 
people.  He  thought  in  this  way  not  only  to  satisfy  his  own  sense 
of  justice,  but  to  please  the  people  by  releasing  a  prisoner  whom 
he  imagined  they  would  value,  and  to  propitiate  the  Sanhedrin 
by  chastising  Jesus.     But  he  pleased  no  one. 

7.  Barabbas.  Some  ancient  authorities  give  the  name  as  Jesus 
Barabbas.  The  name  Bar- Abba  was  a  common  name,  at  least  in 
later  Judaism.  Of  this  Barabbas  nothing  certain  is  known  beyond 
what  we  gather  from  the  Gospels,  namely,  that  he  was  a  robber 
(John  xviii.  40)  ;  that  he  had  stirred  up  a  serious  disturbance  in 
the  city  and  had  been  guilty  of  murder  (Mark  xv.  7  ;  Luke  xxiii. 
19)  ;  and  that  at  the  time  he  was  lying  a  prisoner  along  with  his 
fellow  insurgents,  charged  with  faction  and  murder.  He  was 
probably  one  of  those  fierce  and  uncompromising  patriots,  known 
as  the  party  of  the  Zealots,  who  hated  the  Roman  rule  with  an 
invincible  hatred,  and  gave  constant  trouble  to  the  Roman  gover- 
nors and  the  Roman  soldiery.  Barabbas  was  guilty  of  the  very 
crime,  that  of  sedition,  which  the  Sanhedrin  tried  to  fasten  un- 
justly upon  Jesus. 

8.  the  multitude  .  .  .  began  to  ask  him.  The  people  were  not 
to  be  balked  of  their  right,  and  Pilate  thought  that,  as  it  was 
obviously  envy  of  the  favour  and  influence  Jesus  had  won  with 
the  multitude  that  had  induced  the  hierarchy  to  accuse  him,  the 
people  were  likely  to  choose  Jesus  for  release.  He  let  them 
have  their  usual  right  of  choice,  therefore,  only  suggesting  by  his 
question,  '  Will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  the  King  of  the  Jews  ? ' 
the  selection  that  might  please  him  as  well  as  them.  But  in  this 
appeal  to  the  people  he  was  defeated  by  the  counter-appeal  of 
the  chief  priests.  We  are  not  told  how  the  people  were  induced 
to  prefer  Barabbas.  But  there  may  have  been  a  secret  sympathy 
with  the  insurgents  on  which  the  chief  priests  contrived  to  play. 


ST.   MARK    15.    1115  347 

the  chief  priests  had  delivered  him  up.     But  the  chief  u 
priests  stirred  up  the  multitude,  that  he  should  rather 
release  Barabbas  unto  them.    And  Pilate  again  answered  12 
and  said  unto  them,  What  then   shall   I   do  unto  him 
whom  ye  call  the  King  of  the  Jews?     And  they  cried  13 
out  again,   Crucify   him.      And   Pilate  said  unto  them,  14 
Why,   what   evil   hath   he   done?     But   they  cried  out 
exceedingly,  Crucify  him.    And  Pilate,  wishing  to  content  15 


12.  What  then  shall  I  do  unto  hint  whom  ye  call  the  King* 
of  the  Jews  ?  It  was  probably  when  he  was  thus  unexpectedly 
disappointed  of  his  hopes  of  a  way  out  of  his  difficulty  that  he 
received  the  disturbing  message  from  his  wife  which  is  recorded  by 
Matthew  (xxvii.  19).  His  uneasiness  is  increased  by  this,  and  he 
asks  in  angered  perplexity  what  is  to  be  done  with  him  who  was 
no  robber  or  murderer,  but  ostensibly  their  king.  Their  answer, 
instigated  no  doubt  by  the  chief  priests,  was  short  and  sharp — 
'  Crucify  him.' 

14.  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done?  Expostulation  was  the 
governor's  next  device.  But  its  only  effect  was  to  make  the 
insensate  people  clamour  the  more  vehemently  for  the  crucifixion 
of  their  King. 

15.  Pilate,  wishing"  to  content  the  multitude.  At  this  point 
Matthew  records  how  Pilate  '  took  water,  and  washed  his  hands 
before  the  multitude'  I  xxvii.  24),  an  incident  which  is  reported 
only  by  him.  This  was  a  Jewish  ceremony  ^Deut.  xxi.  6  ;  Joseph. 
Antiq.  iv.  viii.  16  .  symbolical  of  one's  guiltlessness  in  the  matter  ot 
the  shedding  of  blood.  Similar  sj'mbolical  rites  were  practised 
by  the  Greeks,  only  after  a  case  of  murder,  not  before  it  (Herod, 
i.  35;  Virgil,  A  en.  ii.  719).  It  was  also  the  custom  for  heathen 
judges  when  about  to  pass  sentence  to  protest  their  innocence  of 
the  blood  of  the  person  whom  the}-  were  to  condemn  to  death 

see  Meyer  on  Matt,  xxvii.  24V  His  fear  of  the  Jewish  mob. 
working  on  his  fatal  irresolution,  beats  down  all  the  governor's 
scruples,  and  at  last  extorts  from  him  the  irrevocable  order.  The 
Fourth  Gospel,  with  its  more  detailed  account,  best  enables  us  to 
understand  how  Pilate  struggled  against  the  meshes  that  were 
closing  in  about  him.  It  diews  us  how  he  went  once  and  again 
into  the  palace,  and  once  and  again  faced  the  people :  how 
he  brought  Jesus  out  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the 
purple  garment,  and  called  on  the  mob,  in  a  last  appeal  to 
their  pity,  or  in  fierce  mockery  of  their  Messianic  ideas,  to 
1  behold  the  man '  ;    how  he  would  have  had  the  Jews  take  Jesus 


348  ST.  MARK   15.  16 

the  multitude,  released  unto  them  Barabbas,  and  delivered 
Jesus,  when  he  had  scourged  him,  to  be  crucified. 
1 6      And  the  soldiers  led  him  away  within  the  court,  which 
is  the  Praetorium  ;  and  they  call  together  the  whole  band. 

away  and  themselves  crucif}'  him  ;  how  at  last  they  declared 
the  real  cause  of  their  offence  with  him — his  claim  to  be  the  Son 
of  God  ;  how  the  judge,  the  more  afraid  when  he  heard  this,  took 
Jesus  again  within  and  interrogated  him  in  private  ;  and  how  the 
long  conflict  between  the  Jewish  accusers  and  the  Roman  judge 
ended  in  triumph  for  the  former  when  they  tried  the  hesitating 
governor  with  the  crafty  cry,  '  Thou  art  not  Csesar's  friend  '  (John 
xix.  1-14). 

when  he  had  scourged  him.  This  particular  word  is  found 
in  the  N.  T.  only  here  and  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Matthew. 
Roman  scourging  inflicted  suffering  so  terrible  that  often  the 
victim  died  under  it.  The  scourging  before  crucifixion  was 
usually  done  by  lictors  (Joseph.  Jewish  War,  ii.  xiv.  9,  v.  xi.  1) ; 
but  in  our  Lord's  case  it  was  done  by  the  soldiers.  The  sufferer 
was  bound  to  a  low  pillar.  In  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
a  broken  porphjuy  column,  known  as  the  Column  of  Flagellation, 
is  shewn  as  the  pillar  to  which  our  Lord  was  bound.  Another 
column  with  similar  pretensions  is  shewn  at  Rome. 

xv.  16-20.  The  Mockery  of  the  Soldiers  :  cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  27-31  ; 
John  xix.  2,  3.     This  incident  is  omitted  by  Luke. 

16.  the  soldiers:  Matthew  explains  that  these  were  the 
soldiers  of  'the  governor'  (xxvii.  27).  Those  of  Herod  had 
been  mentioned  by  Luke  (xxiii.  11).  These  Roman  soldiers  had 
to  see  to  the  execution  of  the  sentence.  The}'  consisted  probably 
of  a  few  men  with  a  centurion,  and  formed  part  of  the  band  or 
cohort  stationed  in  Jerusalem,  no  doubt  in  the  castle  of  Antonia 
(Acts  xxi.  31). 

within  the  court :  the  scourging  had  taken  place,  therefore, 
outside  in  front  of  the  palace.  Jesus  is  now  brought  into  the 
open  courtyard. 

the  Praetorium :  the  word  is  used  of  the  tent  or  head  quarters 
of  a  commander  in  a  Roman  camp.  But  in  the  Gospels  and  the 
Book  of  Acts  it  means  the  official  residence  of  a  governor 
(cf.  Acts  xxiii.  35).  Opinion  is  divided,  as  we  have  said,  on  the 
subject  of  the  place  in  view  here.  Some  hold  that  Herod's  palace 
was  used  by  the  Roman  procurator  as  his  official  residence  for 
the  time.  Josephus  tells  us  indeed  that  it  was  so  used  by  Florus 
(Jewish  IVar,  ii.  xiv.  8 ).  Others,  pointing  to  the  fact  that  Herod 
was  himself  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time,  and  noticing  that  the  view 
which  the  Gospels  give  of  the  proceedings  in  connexion  with  the 


ST.  MARK   15.  17- 20  349 

And  they  clothe  him  with  purple,  and  plaiting  a  crown  17 
of  thorns,  they  put  it  on  him ;  and  they  began  to  salute  1 8 
him,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  !  And  they  smote  his  head  iy 
with  a  reed,  and  did  spit  upon  him,  and  bowing  their 
knees  worshipped  him.  And  when  they  had  mocked  20 
him,  they  took  off  from  him  the  purple,  and  put  on 
him  his  garments.    And  they  lead  him  out  to  crucify  him. 

trial  best  accords  with  a  position  near  the  citadel,  conclude  with 
more  probability  that  the  Prcetorium  was  connected  with  the 
fortress  of  Antonia. 

the  whole  band.  The  word  '  band '  is  of  somewhat  uncertain 
application.  It  may  mean  a  maniple,  which  was  the  third  of 
a  cohort  and  consisted  nominally  of  200  men.  But,  as  the  '  band ' 
is  said  to  have  a  chiliarch  or  '  chief  captain '  (John  xviii.  12  ;  Acts 
xxi.  31),  it  is  supposed  to  have  the  sense  of  cohort  in  the  N.T. 

17.  with  purple:  or,  as  Matthew  gives  it,  i a.  scarlet  robe.' 
Jesus  had  been  stripped  of  his  clothing  when  led  forth  to  be 
scourged.  His  under-garments  had  been  put  on  again  when  he 
was  brought  back  into  the  court.  Now  Pilate's  soldiers,  imitating 
the  mockery  practised  by  Herod  and  his  men  when  they  sent 
Jesus  back  'arrayed  in  gorgeous  apparel'  (Luke  xxiii.  11),  put 
upon  him  in  place  of  his  upper  robes  a  red  cloak,  probably  the 
ordinary  military  cloak,  '  possibly  a  cast-off  and  faded  rag,  but 
with  colour  enough  left  in  it  to  suggest  the  royal  purple  '  (Swete). 
This  they  did  in  ridicule  of  his  kingly  pretensions. 

a  crown  of  thorns :  in  derisive  imitation  of  the  laurel  wreath, 
the  badge  of  victory,  worn  at  times  by  the  Roman  emperors  in 
token  of  military  distinction  or  on  festal  occasions.  This  wreath 
was  made  of  twisted  spikes  of  some  sort  of  thorn,  probably  the 
tiabk  tree.  The  precise  species  of  thorn,  however,  cannot  be 
determined  with  certainty. 

18.  to  salute  him.  Matthew  notices  that  a  reed  was  put  into 
his  right  hand  (xxvii.  29).  to  represent  a  sceptre. 

18.  smote  his  head  with  a  reed.  The  mock  homage  offered 
him  was  accompanied  or  followed  by  cruel  blows  and  insults. 
When  the  soldiers  had  enough  of  outrage  and  brutality,  they  took 
off  the  red  cloak  and  clad  Jesus  again  in  his  own  garments.  See 
his  prediction  in  chap.  x.  33,  34. 

20.  they  lead  him  out  to  crucify  him.  The  O.  T.  law  forbade 
the  camp  to  be  defiled  with  blood  Num.  xv.  35).  Naboth  was 
stoned  without  d  Kings  xxi.  13 ...  So  was  it  with  the  Holy  City. 
Stephen  was  stoned  without  (Acts  vii.  58).  and  his  Lord  before 
him  was  taken  outside  the  city  to  be  crucified  (cf.  Heb.  xiii.  12). 


35©  ST.  MARK   15.  21 

i\      And  they  compel  one  passing  by,  Simon  of  Cyrene, 
coming  from  the  country,  the  father  of  Alexander  and 

It  is  not  possible  to  determine  with  any  certainty  the  route  by 
which  Jesus  was  led  from  the  judgement-hall  to  the  place  of 
crucifixion.  Jerusalem  has  passed  through  too  many  changes  to 
enable  us  to  trace  the  Lord's  course.  Tradition  defines  it  as  the 
way  called  the  Via  Dolorosa  running  across  the  city  from  the 
fortress  of  Antonia  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  But  the  name,  if  not 
the  tradition  itself,  can  scarcely  be  traced  as  far  back  as  the 
twelfth  century. 

xv.  21-32.  The  incidents  on  the  way  to  the  Cross,  and  at  the  Cross  : 
cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  32-44  ;  Luke  xxiii.  26-43  >  John  xix.  16-26. 

21.  they  compel  one  passing-  hy.  Matthew  tells  us  that  this 
happened  ;  as  they  came  out '  (xxvii.  32),  probably  just  as  they  left 
the  gate.  The  man  was  on  his  way  from  the  country,  as  Mark  and 
Luke  both  state,  and  the  soldiers  arrested  him  as  he  was  passing  by 
and  forced  him  to  go  with  them.  The  word  translated  '  compel ' 
is  better  rendered  '  impress,'  as  in  the  R.  V.  margin.  It  is  a  word 
of  foreign  origin,  used  in  particular  of  the  couriers  of  the  Kings 
of  Persia,  who  were  impressed  into  the  monarch's  service.  It 
came  to  be  applied  to  any  kind  of  compulsory  service.  It  is 
the  word  that  is  rendered  '  compel '  also  once  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  (Matt.  v.  41). 

Simon  of  Cyrene.  The  name  of  the  person  thus  impressed 
by  the  soldiers  is  given  by  all  the  three  Synoptists,  though  not 
by  John.  He  belonged  to  Cyrene  in  North  Africa.  We  learn 
from  Josephus  that  a  body  of  Jews  settled  there  in  the  time  of 
Ptolemy  I,  and  had  a  considerable  position  among  the  people 
(Cont.  Ap.  4,  Antiq.  xiv.  vii.  2).  In  the  N.  T.  there  are  other 
references  to  this  district.  Dwellers  in  'the  parts  about*  Cyrene 
were  among  those  in  Jerusalem  on  the  great  day  of  Pentecost 
(Acts  ii.  10) :  Cyrenians  are  mentioned  in  connexion  with  the 
synagogue  of  the  Libertines  (Acts  vi.  9)  ;  a  Lucius  of  Cyrene 
is  named  among  the  prophets  and  teachers  of  the  Church  of 
Antioch  (Acts  xiii.  1). 

the  father  of  Alexander  and  Rufus.  Mark  alone  describes 
Simon  thus  by  his  sons.  We  infer  from  the  statement  that  they 
became  persons  of  some  distinction  in  the  Church.  But  neither  of 
Simon  himself  nor  of  these  sons  do  we  know  anything  beyond 
what  we  find  here.  Some  endeavour  to  identify  this  Alexander 
with  one  or  other  of  the  Alexanders  mentioned  in  the  Book  of 
Acts  and  the  Pauline  Epistles,  the  Alexander  who  '  would  have 
made  a  defence  unto  the  people'  at  Ephesus  (Acts  xix.  33),  the 
one   introduced    along  with  Hymenseus   (1  Tim.   i.   20),  or   the 


ST.   MARK   15.  32,iaa  35? 

Rufus,  to  go  with  them,  that  he  might  bear  his  cross. 
And  they   bring  him  unto  the  place  Golgotha,   which  22 
is,  being  interpreted,  The  place  of  a  skull.     And  they  23 

one  known  as  '  the  coppersmith '  (2  Tim.  iv.  14  .  But  the  re- 
lations of  these  men  to  Paul  make  this  identification  extremely 
improbable. 

that  lie  might  bear  his  cro3s.  It  is  stated  by  Plutarch  that 
it  was  the  custom  to  make  the  condemned  man  carry  his  own 
cross,  and  ancient  paintings  shew  it  to  have  been  the  belief  of  the 
early  Church  that  Jesus  bore  the  whole  cross.  It  is  more  probable, 
however,  that  only  a  part  of  it  was  borne,  namely  the  patibultou, 
the  post  or  upright  beam,  to  which  the  transverse  beam  was 
affixed  when  the  cross  was  about  to  be  erected.  Some  (e.  g. 
Keim),  with  less  probability,  think  the  cross-beam  was  all  that  was 
put  upon  our  Lord's  back  on  the  way.  John  mentions  that  Jesus 
'went  out.  bearing  the  cross  for  himself  (xix.  17).  It  appears, 
therefore,  that  our  Lord  bore  the  cross  at  least  to  the  city  gate. 
There,  outside  the  gate,  his  strength  probably  gave  way,  and 
Simon  was  compelled  to  relieve  him  of  the  painful  burden.  At 
this  point  Luke  introduces  the  incident  of  the  women  of  Jerusalem 
bewailing  Jesus. 

22.  the  place  Golgotha,  which  is,  being  interpreted,  The 
place  of  a  skull.  Matthew  gives  the  name  without  the  ex- 
planation, writing  as  he  does  for  Jewish  readers.  Luke  says 
'  the  place  which  is  called  The  skull,'  omitting  the  Aramaic  word 
Golgotha.  John  is  more  precise,  ;the  place  called  The  place 
of  a  skull,  which  is  called  in  Hebrew  Golgotha.'  This  '  place  of 
a  skull '  was  rendered  locus  Calvariae  in  the  Vulgate  Version.  We 
owe  the  word  Calvary  to  the  fact  that  the  Old  English  versions 
followed  the  Vulgate  in  their  renderings  of  Luke's  Gospel  here. 
Wyclif,  e.  g.  gives  '  the  place  of  Calvarie.'  The  name  Golgotha 
indicates  that  the  place  was  a  low,  bare,  skull-shaped  knoll  or 
mound.  It  seems  to  have  been  well  known.  The  Gospels 
indicate  that  it  was  outside  the  city,  yet  near  it  (John  xix.  20), 
on  a  road  leading  from  the  country  into  the  city  i^Lukc  xxiii.  26,, 
and  having  a  garden  in  it  or,  as  we  may  rather  suppose,  by  it 
John  xix.  41).  But  its  exact  position  cannot  be  determined  with 
any  certainty.  It  can  scarcely  be  the  traditional  Mount  Calvary, 
which  is  within  the  city.  It  has  been  placed  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Kidron  north  of  St.  Stephen's  Gate  (so  Dr.  Thomson)  ;  on  the 
hill  north-east  of  Herod's  Gate  (Sir  C.  Wilson,  &c.)  ;  on  the  hill 
without  the  present  wall,  north-east  of  the  Damascus  Gate  ;  on 
the  '  Skull  Hill '  or  '  Grotto  Hill,'  near  the  Damascus  Gate,  above 
the  grotto  of  Jeremiah,  and  elsewhere.  But  there  is  no  general 
agreement  on  the  subject. 


352  ST.  MARK   15.  24-26 

offered  him  wine  mingled  with  myrrh :  but  he  received 

24  it  not.     And  they  crucify  him,  and   part  his  garments 
among  them,  casting  lots  upon  them,  what  each  should 

25  take.      And  it  was  the  third  hour,  and  they  crucified 

26  him.      And   the   superscription    of  his   accusation    was 

23.  offered  him  wine  mingled  with  myrrh.  Matthew 
describes  it  as  wine  ' mingled  with  gall'  (xxvii.  34).  Both  were 
stupefying  potions.  It  was  customary  to  offer  such  drugged  wine 
to  those  about  to  undergo  crucifixion,  in  order  to  make  them 
less  sensible  of  pain.  Jesus  tasted  this  drink  (Matt,  xxvii.  34), 
but  refused  it. 

24.  part  his  garments.  The  clothing  of  the  condemned  was 
the  perquisite  of  the  soldiers  on  duty  at  executions. 

casting-  lots.  Probably  they  had  dice  with  them  for  their 
amusement  :  these  would  serve  the  purpose.  John,  who  was  an 
eye-witness  of  the  scene,  makes  a  distinction  here.  He  speaks 
of  the  l  garments,'  as  distinguished  from  the  'coat/  as  being 
divided  into  four  parts,  one  for  each  man  in  the  quaternion  of 
soldiers.  This  they  might  do  by  loosening  the  seams.  But  the 
'  coat'  or  'tunic/  which  was  woven  of  one  piece,  was  not  divided, 
but  assigned  in  whole  to  one  by  lot.  John  adds  that  in  this 
way  the  words  of  Ps.  xxii.  18  were  fulfilled  (xix.  23,  24). 

25.  it  was  the  third  hour.  Mark  alone  gives  this  particular 
note  of  time.  John,  on  the  other  hand,  says  it  was  '  about  the 
sixth  hour'  when  Pilate  brought  Jesus  out  and  took  his  seat 
for  judgement  (xix.  14).  Various  explanations  of  this  apparent 
discrepancy  have  been  given.  Of  these  the  most  probable  is  the 
supposition  that  Mark  and  John  here  follow  different  modes  of 
reckoning  time,  the  latter  having  the  Roman  division  of  time 
in  view,  which  would  make  the  'sixth  hour'  about  six  a.m. 
Dr.  Edersheim  is  of  opinion  that  Jesus  was  brought  forth  by 
Pilate  at  the  sixth  hour  of  the  Roman  calculation,  and  that  he 
was  led  out  to  crucifixion  at  the  third  hour  according  to  the 
Jewish  reckoning,  which  would  be  the  ninth  of  the  Roman  or 
Western  reckoning  (Temple  Service,  p.  174).  But  the  question 
remains  an  unsettled  one.  In  any  case,  however,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  the  ancients  did  not  observe  those  very  exact 
divisions  of  time  to  which  we  are  accustomed,  and  that  of  the  two 
statements  in  view  Mark's  is  the  more  definite,  while  John's 
is  the  more  general. 

26.  the  superscription  of  his  accusation.  It  was  customary 
to  have  the  cause  of  condemnation  inscribed  on  a  tablet,  which 
was  fastened  to  the  prisoner  or  borne  before  him  as  he  was  led  to 
execution.    This  was  afterwards  fastened  to  the  cross  itself,  above 


ST.  MARK    15.   27-32  353 

written  over,  the  king  of  the  jews.     And  with  him  27 
they  crucify  two  robbers ;    one  on  his  right  hand,  and 
one  on  his  left.     And  they  that  passed  by  railed  on  him,  29 
wagging  their  heads,  and  saying,  Ha  !  thou  that  destroyest 
the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself,  30 
and  come  down  from  the  cross.     In  like  manner  also  31 
the  chief  priests  mocking  him  among  themselves  with 
the  scribes  said,  He  saved  others  ;    himself  he  cannot 
save.     Let  the  Christ,  the  King  of  Israel,   now  come  32 

the  sufferer's  head.  There  were  several  kinds  of  crosses—  the 
St.  Andrew's  cross  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  X  ;  St.  Anthony's 
cross,  also  known  as  the  Egyptian  or  the  Greek  cross,  with  the 
form  T  ;  and  the  Latin  cross,  which  was  of  this  shape  -f" .  The 
mention  of  the  superscription  as  '  written  over,'  <  over  him  '  as  Luke 
gives  it,  put  'on  the  cross'  as  John  expresses  it,  points  to  the 
third  as  the  kind  of  cross  to  which  our  Lord  was  nailed.  The 
terms  of  the  superscription  are  given  with  certain  variations  in 
the  Gospels,  but  in  each  the  significant  words  '  the  King  of  the 
Jews,'  which  indicated  the  real  cause  of  offence,  are  found.  From 
John  (xix.  20)  we  learn  that  the  title  was  written  not  only  in  the 
official  Latin,  but  also  in  Hebrew  and  Greek. 

2*7.  two  robbers:  or,  according  to  Luke,  'malefactors.'  Not 
1  thieves,'  but  perhaps  members  of  the  insurgent  band  of  Barabbas, 
desperate,  fanatical  patriots,  who  might  be  heroes  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Jewish  mob. 

28.  The  A.  V.  introduces  here  the  verse  '  And  the  scripture 
was  fulfilled,  which  saith,  And  he  was  numbered  with  the 
transgressors.'  The  documentary  evidence  in  support  of  it 
however  is  doubtful.  The  quotation  from  Isa.  liii.  12  is  given 
by  Luke  at  an  earlier  stage  (xxii.  37). 

29.  Ha!  The  exclamation  here  is  one  of  derision  or  ironical 
amazement.     This  is  its  only  occurrence  in  the  N.  T. 

thou  that  destroyest  the  temple.  The  accusation  of  the 
two  witnesses  before  Caiaphas  (Matt.  xxvi.  6r  ;  Mark  xiv.  58). 
It  had  been  made  matter  of  common  talk. 

31.  the  chief  priests  :  even  these  dignitaries  could  not  restrain 
themselves.  They  too  joined  in  the  mockery,  not  with  the  crowd 
indeed,  but  passing  their  jeers  from  mouth  to  mouth  among  them- 
selves, the  scribes  and  elders  uniting  with  them  (Matt,  xxvii.  41). 
The  taunt  in  which  they  indulge,  '  He  saved  others  ;  himself  he 
cannot  save'  (or,  'can  he  not  save  himself?'),  appears  to  be  an 
echo  of  Psalm  xxii.  8. 

A  a 


354  ST.  MARK   15.  33,  .H 

down  from  the  cross,  that  we  may  see  and  believe.    And 
they  that  were  crucified  with  him  reproached  him. 

33  And  when  the  sixth  hour  was  come,  there  was  darkness 

34  over  the  whole  land  until  the  ninth  hour.     And  at  the 
ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Eloi,  Eloi,  lama 

32.  tliey  that  were  crucified  with  him:  so  also  Matthew. 
Luke  refers  only  to  one  of  the  malefactors  as  railing  on  Jesus, 
and  adds  the  rebuke  administered  to  him  by  his  fellow  criminal, 
his  petition  to  Jesus,  and  the  answer  it  received  (xxiii.  39-43  I. 
From  Luke  we  learn  also  that  the  soldiers  joined  with  others  in 
the  common,  savage  derision  (xxiii.  36). 

xv.  33-41.  The  Last  Hours  and  the  Events  attendant  on  the 
Death  :  cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  45-56  ;  Luke  xxiii.  44-49 ;  John  xix. 
38-37. 

33.  the  sixth  hour:  so  also  Matthew.  Luke  gives  it  less 
precisely  'about  the  sixth  hour.' 

there  was  darkness :  Luke  explains  that  it  was  due  to  '  the 
sun's  light  failing'  (xxiii.  45). 

over  the  whole  land  until  the  ninth  hour :  that  is,  from 
12  noon  till  3  p.m.  This  darkness  cannot  be  explained  either 
as  the  kind  of  darkness  that  is  known  to  precede  earthquakes, 
or  as  the  result  of  an  ordinary  eclipse.  An  eclipse  at  the 
Paschal  full  moon  is  an  impossibility.  It  must  be  understood, 
according  to  the  Gospel  narratives,  to  have  been  a  gloom  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  nature,  in  which  all  that  happened  during  the 
last  three  hours  of  the  Saviour's  Passion  was  shrouded  from  view. 
How  far  this  darkness  extended  is  not  certain.  The  phrase  '  over 
all  the  land'  ma}'  also  mean  'over  all  the  earth.'  It  is  not  easy 
to  say,  therefore,  whether  the  statement  means  that  the  gloom 
covered  all  the  land  of  Judaea  or  extended  over  the  earth.  It 
is  most  natural  to  take  the  more  limited  application.  But  on 
the  other  hand  the  phrase,  though  an  indefinite  one,  is  usually 
employed  in  a  wider  sense  (Gen.  i.  26,  xi.  9  ;  Ps.  xxxiii.  8  ;  Luke 
xxi.  35  ;  Rev.  xiii.  3),  and  it  may  be  said  that  the  idea  of  a 
cosmic  portent  suits  the  tone  of  the  narrative  better  than  that  of 
a  local  gloom. 

34.  at  the  ninth  hour :  that  is,  the  hour  for  the  evening 
sacrifice ;  cf.  Acts  iii.  1. 

Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice :  the  cry  was  rather  a  shout, 
the  strong  note  of  a  conqueror,  than  the  feeble  voice  of  one 
exhausted.  The  strength  or  loudness  of  the  voice  of  the  d3'ing 
Jesus  is  noticed  also  by  Luke  in  the  case  of  his  final  utterance 
from  the  cross  (xxiii.  46  . 

Eloi,  Eloi,  lama  sahachthani?    The  cry  is  given  by  Mark 


ST.  MARK   15.  35,  36  355 

sabachthani?     which  is,  being  interpreted,  My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?     And  some  of  them  35 
that  stood  by,  when  they  heard  it,  said,  Behold,  he  calleth 
Elijah.    And  one  ran,  and  filling  a  sponge  full  of  vinegar,  36 


in  the  vernacular,  with  a  translation  for  the  benefit  of  his  Gentile 
readers.  At  this  crisis  in  his  sufferings,  when  mental  agony  is 
more  than  all  his  physical  pain,  Jesus  expresses  his  sense  of 
anguish  in  the  words  of  the  sufferer  in  one  of  the  great  Messianic 
psalms  (Ps.  xxii.  1  .  It  cannot  be  explained  simply  as  the  recoil  of 
nature  from  the  pangs  of  dissolution,  or  as  the  bitter  feeling  of  being 
abandoned  by  men.  It  is  the  cry  of  one  who  has  lost  for  the  time 
the  sense  of  fellowship  with  God — the  cry  of  conscious  innocence 
struggling  with  this  unexampled  experience,  in  utter  darkness 
clinging  to  faith  and  trusting  itself  to  God,  but  unable  to  say 
Father,  bereft  for  a  season  of  the  gladness  of  realized  fellowship. 
It  is  the  note  of  an  experience  too  deep  for  us  to  fathom,  and 
possible  only  to  one  standing  in  a  relation  different  from  ours  to 
man  and  his  sin.  and  to  God  and  His  grace.  This  is  the  only  cry 
from  the  cross  that  is  recorded  either  by  Matthew  or  by  Mark. 
That  there  were  other  six  we  learn  from  Luke  and  John.  The 
most  probable  order  in  which  these  cries  occurred  is  this : — 
(1)  The  prayer  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  enemies  (Luke  xxiii.  34). 
(3)  The  promise  to  the  penitent  robber  (Luke  xxiii.  43V  (3)  The 
charge  to  Mary  and  to  John  (John  xix.  26,  27).  These  three 
before  the  darkness.  Then  during  the  darkness  :  (41  this  cry  of 
desertion  (Matt,  xxvii.  46  ;  Mark  xv.  34).  And  after  the  darkness 
these  three:  (5)  the  exclamation  'I  thirst'  (John  xix.  28). 
6  The  declaration  'It  is  finished'  (John  xix.  30".  {f)  The 
final  commendation  of  his  spirit  to  God  (Luke  xxiii.  46). 

35.  Behold,  he  calleth  Elijah.  Not  an  innocent  misunder- 
standing, surely,  of  his  cry,  but  a  fresh  insult,  a  poor,  unfeeling 
attempt  at  banter,  taking  advantage  of  the  similarity  in  Hebrew 
or  Aramaic  between  the  word  for  God  and  the  name  of  the 
prophet.  The  point  of  the  cruel  witticism  lay  in  the  connexion 
which  Elijah  had  with  the   Messiah  in   popular  belief. 

36.  filling-  a  sponge  fall  of  vinegar.  From  Luke  we  see  that 
a  similar  drink  had  been  offered  earlier  by  the  soldiers  in  mockery, 
and  had  been  refused  by  Jesus  (xxiii.  36).  Now  one  of  those 
standing  by  runs  to  give  him  something  to  relieve  his  thirst. 
Deadly  thirst  added  to  the  awful  pangs  of  crucifixion.  The  drink 
offered  at  this  point  was  'vinegar,'  that  is  to  say,  the  sour 
wine  drunk  by  the  common  soldier  and  the  labourer  in  the  field 

Ruth  ii.  14).     John  tells  us  that  a  vessel  of  this  was  •  set  there,' 
whether  for  the  soldiers'  use  or  expressly  lor  the  relief  of  the 

A   a    2 


356  ST.  MARK   15.  37-39 

put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink,  saying,  Let 
be ;  let  us  see  whether  Elijah  cometh  to  take  him  down. 

37  And  Jesus  uttered  a  loud  voice,  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 

38  And  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the 

39  top  to  the  bottom.     And  when   the   centurion,   which 

sufferers.  It  is  said  that  not  unfrequently  a  drink  of  this  kind  was 
kept  at  hand  for  the  purpose.  On  this  occasion  a  sponge  was 
dipped  in  the  wine,  and  put  upon  a  reed,  a  stalk  of  hyssop  to 
wit,  and  1  brought  to  his  mouth '  (John  xix.  29).  The  hyssop 
was  a  wall-plant,  perhaps  the  same  as  the  caper,  which  was  used 
in  certain  ritual  observances  (Lev.  xiv.  4  ff.  ;  Num.  xix.  6  ff.  ; 
see  also  the  references  to  it  in  Ps.   li.   7;    Heb.  x.   19  ff.). 

Let  be ;  let  us  see  whether  Elijah  cometh  to  take  him 
down.  According  to  Matthew  it  is  those  standing  by,  1  the  rest,' 
who  said  this.  According  to  Mark  it  is  the  man  who  ran  with 
the  sponge,  and  on  his  lips  the  '  let  be,'  which  expressed  mockery 
as  uttered  by  the  others,  might  mean,  '  let  me  have  my  way  with 
this.'  John  says  '  they  put  a  sponge,'  as  if  the  act  was  not  that  of 
one  but  of  several.  The  divergences  in  the  accounts  may  reflect 
the  confusion  and  excitement  caused  by  the  cry  in  the  darkness. 
It  is  possible  that  while  one  spoke  and  acted  in  compassion,  the 
others  spoke  and  acted  to  the  end  in  derision. 

37.  tittered  a  loud  voice.  All  the  Synoptists  notice  the  loud 
cry  uttered  by  Jesus  when  dying.  The  voice  in  view  here  is  no 
doubt  the  cry,  '  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit,'  as 
preserved  by  Luke  (xxiii.  46). 

gave  up  the  ghost.  i  Yielded  up  his  spirit'  (Matt.),  i  bowed 
his  head,  and  gave  up  his  spirit '  (John) ;  terms  pointing,  along 
with  'the  loud  voice,'  to  a  death  which  was  a  voluntary  laying 
down  of  life. 

38.  the  veil  of  the  temple.  The  temple  had  two  veils  or 
curtains,  one  before  the  Holy  Place,  and  another  before  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  The  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  speaking 
of  the  tabernacle,  mentions  'the  second  veil'  (ix.  3).  The  curtain 
intended  here  is  no  doubt  the  one  before  the  Holy  of  Holies,  which 
was  made  '  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen ' 
and  adorned  with  figures  of  cherubim  (Exod.  xxvi.  31  ;  Lev.  xxi. 
23).  The  rending  of  the  veil  is  reported  by  all  three  Synoptists. 
For  the  figurative  application  of  the  'veil '  see  Heb.  vi.  19  ;  for  the 
mystical  sense  of  the  rent  veil  see  Heb.  ix.  20.  Matthew  records 
the  quaking  of  the  earth,  the  rending  of  the  tombs,  and  the  rising 
of  many  saints  (xxvii.  51,  52). 

39.  the  centurion.  Tradition  gives  him  the  name  Longinus. 
He   was   the   officer   in   charge   of   the   quaternion   of  soldiers. 


ST.  MARK  15.  40  357 

stood  by  over  against  him,  saw  that  he  so  gave  up  the 
ghost,  he  said,   Truly  this  man  was  the  Son  of  God. 
And  there  were  also  women  beholding  from  afar  :  among  40 
whom  were  both  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother 

Probably  he  came  from  Caesarea,  where  also  the  devout  '  centurion 
of  the  band  called  the  Italian  band '  was  posted  (Acts  x.  1). 

that  he  so  gave  up  the  ghost.  The  A.  V.  reads  that  '  he  so 
cried  out,  and  gave  up  the  ghost '  ;  but  on  inadequate  documentary 
evidence.  The  way  in  which  Jesus  died  was  something  entirely 
foreign  to  all  the  experience  this  soldier  had  had  of  similar  deaths. 
It  made  so  great  an  impression  upon  him  that  he  confessed  this 
sufferer  to  be  no  ordinary  Jew,  but  'a  righteous  man'  (Luke), 
•  the  Son  of  God '  or  '  a  Son  of  God '  (Matthew  and  Mark).  This 
confession  may  not  mean  the  distinct  acknowledgement  of  Jesus 
as  the  Messiah ;  but  it  expresses  the  centurion's  sense  of  something 
out  of  the  ordinary  course,  something  supernatural  in  the  sufferer 
whose  death  he  had  witnessed.  The  title  '  Son  of  God  '  may  have 
been  taken  by  the  soldier  from  the  report  of  the  accusation  laid 
against  Jesus  i^Matt.  xxvii.  40).  Matthew  notices  that  '  they  that 
were  with  him  watching  Jesus' joined  in  the  confession  that  this 
was  '  the  Son  of  God,'  and  adds  that  this  acknowledgement  was 
made  under  the  influence  of  the  fear  excited  by  the  '  earthquake 
and  the  things  that  were  done'  (xxvii.  54). 

40.  also  women.  According  to  Matthew,  'many  women.' 
These  were  the  faithful  women  from  Galilee.  Apart  from  the 
jeering  mob,  at  some  distance  from  the  cross,  they  gazed  upon 
the  Sufferer  and  the  scene  with  deeper  feelings  by  far  even  than 
the  centurion.  Three  are  mentioned  by  name  in  the  first  two 
Gospels. 

Mary  Magdalene :  so  called  doubtless  from  the  place  to 
which  she  belonged,  probably  the  Magdala,  now  el-Mejdel,  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
district  of  Gennesaret.  She  had  been  delivered  from  seven  demons, 
and  had  become  a  follower  of  the  Healer,  ministering  to  him  of  her 
substance  (Luke  viii.  2,  3;  cf.  Mark  xvi.  9).  She  is  introduced 
here  for  the  first  time  by  Mark. 

Mary  the  mother  of  James  the  less  (or,  the  little)  and  of 
Joses.  Matthew  and  Mark  both  speak  of  this  Mar}r  as  the 
mother  of  James  and  Joses.  John  speaks  of  her  as  'the  wife  of 
Clopas'  (xix.  25").  Many  take  Clopas  to  be  the  same  as  Alphaus, 
and  so  make  this  Mary  the  mother  of  the  Apostle  James,  the 
second  James  in  the  lists  of  the  Twelve.  But  the  identification 
of  Clopas  with  Alphaeus  is  doubtful.  In  ancient  Church  history 
mention  is  made  of  a  Clopas,  who  was  the  brother  of  Joseph,  the 


358  ST.  MARK   15.  41,42 

41  of  James  the  less  and  of  Joses,  and  Salome ;  who,  when 
he  was  in  Galilee,  followed  him,  and  ministered  unto 
him ;  and  many  other  women  which  came  up  with  him 
unto  Jerusalem. 

42  And  when  even  was  now  come,  because  it  was  the 

Virgin  Mary's  spouse,  and  father  of  the  Symeon  who  was  president 
of  the  mother  church  of  Jerusalem  after  the  death  of  James  the 
Just  (Eusebius,  Hist.  Eccl.  iii.  it,  22,  32,  iv.  22).  The  term 
applied  to  the  James  noticed  here,  'the  less'  or  'the  little,'  is 
taken  by  some  to  mean  '  the  younger.'  But  usually  it  expresses 
the  idea  of  stature,  not  of  age.  It  is  used  e.  g.  to  express  the  fact 
that  Zacchaeus  was  '  little  of  stature '  (Luke  xix.  3^ 

and  Salome.  The  name  Salome  was  borne  by  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Herodian  house.  In  this  connexion  it  is  given  only  by 
Mark,  and  by  him  it  is  left  unexplained,  probably  as  being  a  name 
well  known  in  the  circle  of  the  friends  of  Jesus  and  not  shared  b}' 
any  other  woman  in  that  circle.  Matthew  describes  the  person 
here  in  view,  not  by  her  name,  but  as  '  the  mother  of  the  sons  of 
Zebedee '  (^xxvii.  56).  In  the  Fourth  Gospel  the  women  standing 
by  the  cross  of  Jesus  are  described  as  '  his  mother,  and  his  mother's 
sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Clopas,  and  Mary  Magdalene1  fjohn  xix. 
25).  This  leaves  it  uncertain  whether  '  his  mother's  sister '  and 
'  Mary  the  wife  of  Clopas  '  are  two  distinct  persons  or  one  and  the 
same  individual.  On  the  whole  the  probability  is  that  the  Ma^ 
'  of  James  the  less '  and  the  Mary  '  of  Clopas '  are  to  be  understood 
as  the  same  person,  and  that  the  woman  so  designated  was  the 
Virgin  Mary's  sister. 

41.  many  other  women.  Looking  on  the  cross  were  not  only 
these  faithful  Galilean  women  who  had  been  constant  in  their  loving 
attendance  upon  Jesus,  and  are  mentioned  here  by  name,  but  also 
a  band  of  others  of  less  note  who  had  followed  him  on  his  last 
journey  to  Jerusalem.  Of  the  former  band  Luke  in  his  earlier 
narrative  mentions  other  two  by  name — 'Joanna  the  wife  of 
Chuza,  Herod's  steward,  and  Susanna'  (viii.  2  ;  cf.  xxiv.  10). 
With  this  group  of  women  Luke  mentions  also  '  all  his  acquain- 
tance '  (xxiii.  49). 

xv.  42-47.  The  Burial  of  J est  is  :  cf.  Matt,  xxvii.  57-61  ;  Luke 
xxiii.  50-55 ;  John  xix.  38  42. 

42.  even  was  now  come:  that  is,  the  first  or  early  evening, 
the  time  immediately  before  the  end  of  the  Jewish  day  ;  cf.  Deut. 
xxi.  22  ff. 

because  it  was  the  Preparation :  that  is,  the  preparation 
for  the  sabbath.  It  was  the  eve  of  the  sabbath.  The  word 
'  Preparation  '  had  become  a  technical  term,  used  of  Friday. 


ST.  MARK   15.  43  359 

Preparation,  that  is,  the  day  before  the  sabbath,  there  4?» 
came  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  a  councillor  of  honourable 
estate,  who  also  himself  was  looking  for  the  kingdom  of 
God ;  and  he  boldly  went  in  unto  Pilate,  and  asked  for 

that  is,  the  day  before  the  sabbath.  Matthew,  writing  for 
Jews,  gives  the  term  'the  Preparation'  without  note  or  comment. 
Mark,  having  non-Jewish  readers  in  view,  gives  the  meaning  of 
the  technical  term.  The  mention  of  the  Preparation  is  introduced 
in  explanation  of  the  action  of  Joseph.  The  Fourth  Gospel  states 
that  the  Jews  had  already  taken  action  with  a  view  to  having  the 
body  removed  before  the  sabbath  entered  (John  xix.  31). 

43.  there  came  Joseph  of  Ariniathsea.  Ancient  Christian 
writers  identified  this  Arimathaea  with  the  Ramathaim-Zophim  in 
the  hill-eountry  of  Ephraim  to  which  Elkanah  belonged  (1  Sam. 
i.  1)  ;  which  again  is  identified  by  some  with  cr-Raiu,  a  place  somo 
miles  to  the  north  of  Jerusalem,  though  Eusebius,  the  Church 
historian,  placed  it  near  Lydda.  Others  identify  it  with  Rama  in 
Benjamin  (Matt.  ii.  18). 

a  councillor  of  honourable  estate.  A  member  of  the  San- 
hedrin,  that  is  to  sa}',  and  one  of  high  position  in  the  body,  or,  as 
the  word  may  also  mean,  a  dignified  councillor,  a  man  of  noble 
bearing  ;  Matthew  speaks  of  him  as  '  a  rich  man  '  i  xxvii.  57).  The 
Gospels  tell  us  further  that  he  was  a  disciple  of  Jesus  (Matt, 
xxvii.  57},  a  secret  disciple  (John  xix.  38",  and  that  he  was  'a 
good  man  and  a  righteous'  who  had  not  consented  to  the  'counsel 
and  deed  'of  the  Jewish  court  in  condemning  Jesus   Lukexxiii.  50  \ 

looking-  for  the  kingdom  of  God:  so  also  in  Luke.  He 
belonged  to  the  class  of  devout,  believing,  expectant  Jews  repre- 
sented also  b3T  Simeon  (Luke  ii.  25^,  of  whom  there  were  not  a 
few  in  Jerusalem  itself  (Luke  ii.  38). 

boldly  went  in  unto  Pilate :  the  impression  produced  by  the 
death  of  Jesus  made  the  secret  disciple,  who  feared  the  Jews, 
courageous  enough  to  face  Pilate  and  ask  a  favour  of  him.  It 
made  him  rise  superior  also  to  the  risks  of  ceremonial  separation. 
To  take  part  in  a  burial  meant  defilement  for  seven  days,  and  in- 
ability to  take  part  in  the  Passover  feast  (Num.  xix.  ir;  Hag. 
ii.  13;  see  Geikie.  ut  sup.  ii.  576). 

asked  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  It  was  the  Roman  custom  to 
leave  the  bodies  of  the  executed  hanging  for  a  length  of  time  ex- 
posed to  sun  and  rain  and  the  attacks  of  beasts  and  birds  of  prey. 
In  the  more  merciful  Jewish  law  it  was  expressly  ordered  that 
the  body  of  one  hung  upon  the  tree  should  not  be  left  exposed  all 
night,  but  should  be  taken  down  and  buried  on  the  day  of  suspen- 
sion (Dent.  xxi.  23). 


360  ST.  MARK   15.  44-46 

44  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  Pilate  marvelled  if  he  were 
already  dead :    and  calling  unto  him  the  centurion,  he 

45  asked  him  whether  he  had  been  any  while  dead.  And 
when  he  learned  it  of  the  centurion,  he  granted  the 

46  corpse  to  Joseph.  And  he  bought  a  linen  cloth,  and 
taking  him  down,  wound  him  in  the  linen  cloth,  and 
laid  him  in  a  tomb  which  had  been  hewn  out  of  a  rock ; 
and  he  rolled  a  stone  against  the  door  of  the  tomb. 

44.  Pilate  marvelled  if  lie  were  already  dead.  Usually  the 
crucified  died  a  lingering  death,  their  sufferings  lasting  from  a  day 
and  a  half  to  three  days.  From  John  we  learn  that  the  legs  of 
the  robbers  crucified  with  Jesus  were  broken  at  the  request  of  the 
Jews,  in  order  to  hasten  death  before  the  sabbath  began,  but  that 
Jesus  was  found  to  be  dead  already  (xix.  31-33).  The  Procurator 
was  so  surprised  at  the  intimation  of  the  speedy  demise  that  he 
felt  it  necessary  to  make  sure  of  the  fact  by  inquiring  of  the  cen- 
turion in  charge. 

45.  granted  the  corpse  to  Joseph:  the  word  rendering 
'  granted  '  conveys  the  idea  of  liberality  in  giving.  It  is  used  only 
once  again  in  the  N.T.,  in  2  Pet.  i.  3.  In  this  case  at  least  Pilate 
asked  neither  bribe  nor  price,  but  gave  freely,  impressed,  it  may  be, 
by  the  petitioner's  character  and  standing,  or  having  some  know- 
ledge of  him. 

46.  wound  him  in  the  linen  cloth.  Taking  the  sacred  body 
down  from  the  cross,  in  which  task  he  would  probably  have  assist- 
ance, he  wound  it  carefully  in  a  piece  of  fine  linen,  '  a  clean  linen 
cloth/  says  Matthew  (xxvii.  59),  that  is,  linen  yet  fresh  and  un- 
used. John  adds  that  Nicodemus,  Joseph's  fellow  councillor,  also 
came,  bringing  with  him  '  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  about  a 
hundred  pound  weight'  (xix.  39).  Nicodemus,  therefore,  probably 
assisted  Joseph  in  the  removal  of  the  body  from  the  cross,  and 
the  two  councillors  placed  the  spices  in  the  folds  of  the  linen 
cloth,  and  binding  it  with  strips  of  cloth  made  it  ready  according 
to  the  Jewish  custom  for  burial  (John  xix.  40). 

laid  him  in  a  tomb  which  had  been  hewn  out  of  a  rock. 
Sepulchral  chambers  of  this  kind  are  found  in  numbers  on  the 
south,  west,  and  north-west  of  Jerusalem.  This  tomb  had  been 
constructed  by  Joseph  for  his  own  burial  (Matt,  xxvii.  60)  ;  it 
was  new  and  had  never  been  used  (Matt,  xxvii.  60  ;  Luke  xxiii. 
53  ;  John  xix.  41)  ;  and  it  was  situated  in  a  garden  near  where 
Jesus  had  been  crucified  (John  xix.  41). 

he  rolled  a  stone :  it  was  usual  to  close  the  tomb  in  this 
way  ;  cf.  John  xi.  38.     Matthew  tells  us  that  the  stone  was  sealed 


ST.  MARK   15.  47—16.  2  361 

And  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the  ?nother  of  Joses  47 
beheld  where  he  was  laid. 

And  when  the  sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magdalene,  16 
and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and   Salome,   bought 
spices,   that  they  might  come  and  anoint  him.      And  2 
very  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  they  come  to 

at  the  request  of  the  Jews  and  had  a  guard  set  over  it  (xxvii. 
64-66). 

47.  And  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Joses. 
Luke  speaks  generally  of  '  the  women,  which  had  come  with  him 
out  of  Galilee  '  as  following  (xxiii.  55).  They  sat  '  over  against 
the  sepulchre,'  as  Matthew  notices  (xxvii.  61).  Thus  they  were 
in  a  position  to  see  what  took  place.  They  'beheld  the  tomb,' 
observing  'where  he  was  laid'  (Mark),  and  'how  his  body  was 
laid '  (^Luke).  Knowing  where  they  could  find  the  sacred  body 
when  the  sabbath  was  past,  they  went  their  way,  but  only  to 
return  with  the  spices  and  ointments  needed  for  the  performance 
of  the  last  sad  rites  ^Luke  xxiii.  56). 

xvi.  1-8.  The  Women  and  the  Empty  Tomb  :  cf.  Matt,  xxviii. 
1-8  ;  Luke  xxiv.  1-10 ;  also  John  xx.  1-18. 

1.  And  when  the  sabbath  was  past.  That  is,  after  sunset  on 
the  Saturday.  According  to  Jewish  reckoning  it  was  now  the 
third  day  after  the  crucifixion,  Friday  night,  Saturday,  and  Satur- 
day night  making  three  days. 

bought  spices.  Luke  writes  as  if  the  holy  women  had 
prepared  the  spices  and  ointments  before  the  sabbath  (xxiii.  56). 
The  women  are  those  previously  mentioned  as  looking  on  the 
cross  '  from  afar '  ;  of  whom  two  are  also  said  to  have  '  beheld ' 
where  Jesus  '  was  laid.'  They  had  probably  observed  what  was 
done  by  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  in  preparing  the  sacred  body  for 
burial  They  may  have  seen  also  that  that  had  been  hastily  done 
as  the  sabbath  was  so  near  (Luke  xxiii.  54).  They  procure  what 
was  necessary  to  complete  the  work — the  aromatic  herbs  and  the 
ointments  with  which  to  embalm  the  sacred  body.  Compare  the 
account  of  the  burying  of  King  Asa  \z  Chron.  xvi.  14). 

2.  very  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week.  The  four  Evangel- 
ists agree  in  the  care  with  which  they  note  the  time.  Their  terms 
are  remarkably  independent ;  but,  while  they  differ,  they  all  indi- 
cate substantially  the  same  part  of  the  day.  Matthew  gives,  'as 
it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  day  of  the  week'  ;  Mark,  *  very 
early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  .  .  .  when  the  sun  was  risen  ' ; 
Luke,  •  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  at  early  dawn  ' ;  John,  '  on 
the  first   da}'  of  the  week  .   .   .   while  it  was  yet  dark.'     These 


362  ST.  MARK   16.  3-5 

3  the  tomb  when  the  sun  was  risen.    And  they  were  saying 
among  themselves,  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from 

4  the  door  of  the  tomb  ?  and  looking  up,  they  see  that  the 

5  stone  is  rolled  back :  for  it  was  exceeding  great.     And 

various  terms  mean  that  the  Saturday  night  was  just  dying  out, 
and  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  rising  on  the  darkness. 

when  the  sun  was  risen.  This  statement  is  thought  to 
be  inconsistent  with  John's  words  l  while  it  was  yet  dark.1  But 
Mark  himself  gives  also  the  note  of  time  '  very  early  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week.'  His  own  two  statements,  made  in  one  and  the 
same  sentence,  would  thus  have  to  be  regarded  as  discordant,  if 
the  terms  in  either  Gospel  are  pressed  too  far.  The  word  i  early ' 
is  used  of  the  fourth  watch,  that  is,  from  3  to  6  a.m.  ;  the  phrase 
'  very  early  '  might  point,  therefore,  to  the  beginning  of  that  space 
of  time.  Mark's  first  note  of  time  consequently  is  taken  by  some 
to  be  of  a  general  kind.  Others  take  it  to  express  the  time  when 
the  women  set  out,  while  the  second  note,  '  when  the  sun  was 
risen,'  gives  the  time  when  they  came  to  the  sepulchre.  It  is  most 
probable  that  :Mark  speaks  of  the  sunrise,  not  as  its  appearing 
above  the  horizon, but  as  bringing  in  the  day,  the  illumination  herald- 
ing its  coming.'  So  it  is  understood,  e.  g.,  by  Andrews,  who  also 
notices  that  at  the  season  of  year  in  question  '  the  sun  rose  about 
half-past  five,  and  it  began  to  be  light  enough  to  discern  objects  at 
least  half  an  hour  earlier'  (The  Life  of  oar  Lord,  pp.  598,  599). 

3.  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  ?  They  appear  not  to 
have  known  of  the  visit  of  the  Jewish  authorities  to  Pilate  and 
the  sealing  of  the  stone  and  the  setting  of  the  watch  (Matt,  xxvii. 
62-66).  But  they  knew  the  way  in  which  it  was  customary  to 
secure  rock-hewn  sepulchres,  and  they  probably  had  seen  the  stone 
put  in  its  place  by  Joseph.  To  remove  it  was  far  beyond  their 
strength,  and  they  talked  of  this  difficulty  one  to  another  on  the 
way. 

4.  looking"  up.  A  graphic  touch,  true  to  the  life.  They  were 
now  approaching  the  rock  or  mound  out  of  whicn  the  tomb  had 
been  cut,  and  with  such  perplexities  in  their  minds  they  would 
naturally  look  up  to  see  how  matters  stood. 

rolled  back.  The  word  means  probably  that  it  was  '  not 
rolled  right  away,  but  rolled  back  so  as  to  leave  the  opening  free  * 
(Swete). 

for  it  was  exceeding*  great.  This  is  added  in  order  to 
explain  how  they  were  able  to  see  the  stone  at  some  distance, 
even  though  it  was  not  quite  light  yet,  and  to  discern  that  it  was 
not  in  the  expected  position.  Mark  says  nothing  of  the  earthquake 
or  of  the  rolling  away  of  the  stone  by  •  an  angel  of  the  Lord,' 
which  Matthew  records  (xxviii.  2). 


ST.   MARK    1(3.  6  363 

entering  into  the  tomb,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting 
on  the  right  side,  arrayed  in  a  white  robe ;   and  they 
were  amazed.    And  he  saith  unto  them,  Be  not  amazed  :  6 
ye  seek  Jesus,  the  Nazarene,  which  hath  been  crucified  : 
he  is  risen ;    he  is  not  here :    behold,  the  place  where 

5.  entering-  into  the  tonib.  This  is  not  noticed  by  Matthew. 
John  reports  Mary  Magdalene  as  at  the  sepulchre  alone,  and  gives 
another  train  of  circumstances  (xx.  i-io\  Luke  agrees  with 
Mark  in  stating  that  the  women  entered  the  tomb,  and  adds  that 
4  they  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  '  (xxiv.  3). 

they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side.  The 
'  young  man  '  is  described  as  '  an  angel '  by  Matthew.  Luke, 
again,  represents  the  women  as  'affrighted  '  b}T  the  sight  of  'two 
men '  who  stood  by  them.  The  angel  that  appeared  to  Manoah's 
wife  is  described  by  Josephus  as  like  'a  young  man,  noble  and 
great.'     See  also  the  analogous  case  in  2  Mace.  iii.  26,  33. 

in  a  white  robe.  A  long  robe  or  stole.  So  Matthew  says  of 
the  angel  that  '  his  appearance  was  as  lightning,  and  his  raiment 
white  as  snow'  (xxviii.  3);  and  Luke  describes  the  two  men 
as  'in  dazzling  apparel'  (xxiv.  4). 

amazed.  The  strong  word  which  was  used  also  in  ix.  15,  xiv. 
33.  Fear  was  the  impression  naturally  made  by  the  sight. 
Matthew  speaks  of  the  watchers  as  quaking  and  becoming  '  as 
dead  men  ' ;  Luke  describes  the  women  as  '  affrighted '  and 
bowing  down  '  their  faces  to  the  earth.1 

6.  he  is  risen  ;  he  is  not  here.  So,  too,  in  effect  Matthew. 
Luke  reports  that  the  angel  addressed  to  the  women  the  question, 
'  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ? '  and  reminded  them 
of  the  Lord's   words  in  Galilee  about  his  death  and  resurrection 

xxiv.  6,  7).     The  Resurrection  is  stated  as  a  fact  accomplished. 
It  had  taken  place  when  there  was  no  eye  to  see  it. 

behold,  the  place  where  they  laid  him  I  So  in  Matthew, 
'  Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay.'  He  would  have  them 
satisfy  themselves  as  to  the  fact  by  looking  at  the  place  themselves. 
Though  there  had  been  no  human  witness  of  the  Lord's  rising 
from  the  dead,  there  were  evidences  all  around.  The  place  was 
empty  ;  the  body  was  gone  ;  Peter  and  John  found  it  so.  some- 
what later  (John  xx.  3-10)  ;  and  there  was  no  disorder,  no  sign 
of  violent,  disturbing  removal.  The  Third  Gospel  tells  us  how, 
when  Peter  stooped  and  looked  into  the  tomb,  he  saw  '  the  linen 
cloths  by  themselves  '  xxiv.  12).  The  Fourth  Gospel  states  in  like 
manner  that  Peter  saw  '  the  linen  cloths  lying'  when  he  looked  in. 
and  that,  when  he  ventured  within  the  tomb,  lie  beheld  not  only 
'  the  linen  cloths  lying,'  but  '  the  napkin,  that  was  upon  his  head. 


364  ST.  MARK   16.  7,8 

7  they  laid  him  !  But  go,  tell  his  disciples  and  Peter,  He 
goeth  before  you  into  Galilee :   there  shall  ye  see  him, 

8  as  he  said  unto  you.  And  they  went  out,  and  fled  from 
the  tomb;  for  trembling  and  astonishment  had  come 
upon  them  :  and  they  said  nothing  to  any  one ;  for  they 
were  afraid. 

not  lying  with  the  linen  cloths,  but  rolled  up  in  a  place  by  itself 
(xx.  6,  7) — a  remarkable  statement,  from  which  an  ingenious  argu- 
ment has  been  drawn  in  support  of  the  reality  of  the  Resurrection. 

7.  But  go,  tell  his  disciples.  They  had  a  duty  to  discharge — 
one  that  demanded  immediate  attention,  as  Matthew's  'go  quickly' 
indicates  (xxviii.  7),  and  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  linger  in 
the  wonder  and  rapture  of  the  occasion.  They  had  a  message  to 
carry,  all  important  to  the  disciples  in  their  darkness,  and  especially 
to  one  of  their  number. 

and  Peter.  The  special  grace  meant  for  Peter,  and  of  such 
significance  to  the  man  broken  by  the  double  shock  of  his  own 
denials  and  penitence,  and  the  death  of  his  Lord,  is  mentioned 
only  by  Mark.  The  strong,  restored,  thankful  apostle  could  never 
forget  that  grace,  and  may  have  spoken  of  it  often  to  his  inter- 
preter, Mark. 

He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee.  The  disciples,  if  they 
had  understood  the  Master's  former  words  (Matt.  xxvi.  32  ;  Mark 
xiv.  28),  would  not  have  tarried  in  Jerusalem,  but  would  have  gone 
forward  to  Galilee,  strong  in  the  hope  of  meeting  him  again.  But 
in  the  agitation  of  these  latter  days  they  had  forgotten  his  words, 
and  the  message  sent  by  the  women  was  intended  not  only  to 
give  them  testimony  of  the  Resurrection,  but  in  particular  to 
remind  them  of  what  he  had  said,  and  to  set  them  on  their  way 
to  the  appointed  place  of  meeting,  where  he  was  to  precede  them. 
For  the  force  of  the  word  '  goeth  before  you '  see  on  x.  32. 

8.  went  out,  and  fled  from  the  tomb.  This  was  the  first 
effect  of  the  intimation,  and  it  is  true  to  nature. 

trembling-  and  astonishment  had  come  upon  them. 
'Trembling' — a  word  used  in  the  Gospels  only  this  once,  but 
four  times  by  Paul  (1  Cor.  ii.  3 ;  2  Cor.  vii.  15  ;  Eph.  vi.  5  ; 
Phil.  ii.  12).  'Astonishment,'  lit.  'ecstasy,'  the  word  used  in 
v.  42,  as  also  in  Luke  v.  26 ;  Acts  iii.  10.  It  means  a  trance 
(Acts  x.  10,  xxii.  17),  but  also  amazement  or  awe,  a  condition 
in  which  one  loses  control  of  himself.  We  see  from  Matthew 
that  this  first  impression  of  terror  and  mental  confusion  gave 
place  by-and-by  to  other  feelings,  so  that  the  women's  fear  was 
tempered  by  joy,  and  they  ran  '  to  bring  his  disciples  word ' 
(xxviii.  8). 


ST.   MARK    16.  9,  10  365 

Now  when  he  was  risen  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  9 
week,  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene,  from  whom 
he  had  cast  out  seven  devils.     She  went  and  told  them  10 
that  had  been  with  him,  as  they  mourned  and  wept. 

APPENDIX. 

At  verse  9  the  regular  course  of  the  narrative  appears  to  be 
broken,  and  a  paragraph  is  introduced  which  gives  a  description 
of  Mary  that  seems  hardly  in  place  in  the  case  of  one  who  has 
been  named  only  a  few  verses  before.  It  is  very  generally  held, 
therefore,  that  the  whole  section  from  the  ninth  verse  to  the  end 
did  not  belong  to  the  original  form  of  Mark's  Gospel,  but  was 
appended  to  it,  whether  taken  from  some  other  primitive  document 
or  written  by  the  Evangelist  himself  or  one  of  his  company.  To 
this  conclusion  we  are  led  by  a  variety  of  considerations — the 
state  of  the  historical  testimony  in  ancient  manuscripts,  versions, 
and  Patristic  writings  ;  the  number  of  words  and  phrases  in 
which  the  vocabulary  and  style  of  this  part  differ  from  those  of 
the  body  of  the  Gospel ;  and  the  nature  of  the  contents.  It  is, 
however,  a  narrative  of  most  ancient  date  and  great  historical 
weight,  added  to  the  Gospel  very  soon  after  the  original  draft  was 
composed.     See  more  at  length  above  in  the  Introduction. 

xvi.  9- 1 1.  Appearance  of  the  Risen  Lord  to  Mary:  cf.  John 
xx.  1 1- 18. 

9.  he  appeared.  The  word  by  which  the  appearance  of  the 
Risen  Christ  is  expressed  here  is  one  which  is  also  used  of 
the  appearance  of  God  to  Balaam  <Num.  xxiii.  4),  and  of  the 
appearance  of  Elijah  (Luke  ix.  8).     In  Luke  (xxiv.  34)  and  in  Paul 

1  Cor.  xv.  5,  &c.)  the  word  used  is  one  meaning  'was  seen.' 
first  to  Mary  Magrdalene.  Mark  alone  mentions  distinctly 
lhat  the  first  person  to  whom  Jesus  shewed  himself  was  Mary. 
But  it  is  implied  in  John's  narrative  (xx.  1,  &c).  On  discovering 
that  the  sepulchre  was  empty  she  ran  with  the  tidings  to  Peter, 
and  after  that  she  seems  to  have  returned  to  the  tomb  and  to  have 
had  the  manifestation  of  her  Risen  Lord  which  is  told  briefly  here, 
and  with  rich  and  touching  circumstantiality  by  John. 

from  whom  he  had  cast  out  seven  devils  (or,  \  demons '). 
This  deliverance  is  noticed  also  by  Luke  at  an  earlier  stage  in  his 
narrative  (viii.  2).  Her  love  was  supreme,  and  it  had  this  supreme 
reward. 

10.  told  them  that  had  been  with  him.  This  phrase,  those 
'with  him,'  has  sometimes  a  more  technical  sense  and  sometimes 
a  wider  application.     It  is  used  of  the  Apostles  in  particular  (e.  g. 


366  ST.  MARK   16.  ir,  is 

1 1  And  they,  when  they  heard  that  he  was  alive,  and  had 
been  seen  of  her,  disbelieved. 

12  And  after  these  things  he  was  manifested  in  another 

Mark  iii.  14  ;  John  xvii.  12  ;  Acts  iv.  13) ;  but  also  of  the  disciples 
or  followers  of  Jesus  generally.  Mary  found  them  still  lost  in 
sorrow  and  without  hope. 

11.  they  heard  that  he  was  alive.     Mary  was  able  to  report 
■  plainly  not  only  that  Jesus  lived,  but  that  he  had  been  seen  by 

herself.  She  was  certain  it  was  no  vision  or  apparition  that  she 
had  looked  upon,  but  the  Lord  himself,  whom  she  had  hailed  as 
Rabboni,  and  from  whom  she  had  received  a  message  for  the 
brethren  (John  xx.  16,  17).  The  word  for  '  seen  '  here  occurs 
nowhere  in  the  body  of  Mark's  Gospel,  though  it  is  found  twice 
(here  and  in  verse  14)  in  this  Appendix.  It  is  an  expressive  word 
used  repeatedly  in  a  profound,  solemn  sense  by  John  (e.  g.  John 
i.  14,  32;  1  John  i.  1,  iv.  12,  14). 

they .  . .  disbelieved.  So  Luke  reports  that  the  things  told  the 
Apostles  by  the  women  'appeared  in  their  sight  as  idle  talk;  and 
they  disbelieved  them'  (xxiv.  11).  A  distinction  is  drawn  between 
'disbelief  and  the  positive  'unbelief  into  which  it  may  pass  (cf. 
Heb.  iii.  12,  18,  &c,  iv.  11).  Sunk  in  their  sorrow  as  they  were, 
the  disciples  could  not  take  in  the  fact  to  which  Mary  bore  such 
strong  and  convinced  testimony.  It  seemed  incredible  to  them, 
a  thing  too  good  to  be  true. 

xvi.  12,  13.  Appearance  of  the  Risen  Lord  to  two  of  the  disciples  : 
cf.  Luke  xxiv.  13-32. 

12.  after  these  thing's  he  was  manifested.  This  appearance 
took  place,  says  Mark,  '  after  these  things.1  But  how  long  after  he 
does  not  explain.  The  incident  appears  to  be  the  same,  however, 
as  that  which  Luke  records  at  length  in  his  last  chapter,  and  from 
him  we  learn  that  it  took  place  on  'that  very  day,'  that  is,  on  the 
same  day  as  the  former  manifestation.  The  word  used  here  for 
'  manifested '  is  used  of  the  appearances  of  the  Risen  Lord  once 
again  by  Mark  (verse  14),  thrice  by  John  (xxi.  1,  14s).  It  is  also 
used  of  the  manifestation  of  Christ  at  the  Second  Advent  (Col. 
iii.  4s),  and  of  the  manifestation  of  men  at  the  Last  Judgement 
(2  Cor.  v.  10). 

in  another  form.  There  had  been  a  change  in  the  Lord's 
appearance.  To  Mary  he  seemed  like  a  gardener  (John  xx.  15")  ; 
to  these  disciples  he  looked  like  a  wayfarer.  He  was  altered  so 
that  he  was  not  recognized  at  first  (Luke  xxiv.  16)  ;  this  was  the 
manner  of  his  appearances  in  his  Risen  condition.  He  was  the 
same  and  yet  not  the  same  ;  speaking,  having  the  voice  that  was 
familiar  to  the  disciples,  eating  with  them,  talking  with  them,  and 


ST.  MARK   16.   13,  14  367 

form  unto  two  of  them,  as  they  walked,  on  their  way 
into  the  country.     And  they  went  away  and  told  it  unto  13 
the  rest :  neither  believed  they  them. 

And   afterward   he  was   manifested   unto  the  eleven  14 

yet  going  and  coming  in  ways  they  knew  not,  moving  and  acting 
according  to  laws  strange  to  our  experience,  appearing  only  from 
time  to  time  Acts  i.  3),  and  shewing  himself  not  to  all,  but  only 
to  chosen  witnesses.  '  So  far  as  we  know  none  could  see  him 
in  this  new  condition  of  being  but  those  to  whom  he  was 
pleased  to  manifest  himself  (Andrews,  The  Life  of  our  Lord, 
p.  590  . 

unto  two  of  them.  From  Luke  (xxiv.  18)  we  learn  that  the 
name  of  one  of  them  was  Cleopas. 

as  they  walked,  on  their  way  into  the  country.  They  were 
going  to  'a  village  named  Emmaus,'  as  Luke  tells  us  (xxiv.  13), 
'which  was  threescore  furlongs,'  or  about  seven  English  miles, 
from  Jerusalem.  In  ancient  times  this  village  was  identified  with 
an  Emmaus,  afterwards  called  Nicopolis  (1  Mace.  hi.  40),  and 
known  now  as  Animas.  But  that  place  was  away  near  the  plain 
of  Philistia,  some  twenty-two  miles  or  so  from  Jerusalem.  More 
recently  it  has  been  identified  with  el-Kubeibeh,  a  small  village 
about  nine  miles  north-west  of  Jerusalem,  or  with  Kulonieh  on 
the  west  of  the  city,  or  with  el-Khamasa  on  the  south-west.  The 
site  remains  uncertain.  m  .. 

13.  told  it  unto  the  rest.  They  recognized  their  Lord  in  the 
breaking  of  the  bread,  and  when  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight 
they  hastened  to   their  brethren  in  Jerusalem  with  the  tidings 

(Luke  xxiv.  3°-35N-  .  ,  T    .    , 

neither  believed  they  them.  It  appears  from  Lukes 
narrative  that  the  Lord  had  already  shewn  himself  to  Peter,  and 
that  the  Apostles  were  able  to  report  the  fact  to  the  two  when 
they  came  with  their  glad  news.  Yet  the  two  were  as  little 
believed  as  was  Mary.  The  slowness  of  the  disciples  to  credit 
the  report  may  have  been  due  to  their  inability  to  understand  this 
strange,  new  kind  of  life  and  action  implied  in  the  Lord's  shewing 
himself  now  here  and  now  there,  now  in  one  form  and  then 
in  another. 

xvi.  14-18.  Appearance  of  the  Risen  Lord  to  the  Eleven  :  cf. 
Matt,  xxviii.  16-20 ;  Luke  xxiv.  30-43  ;  John  xx.  19-25 ;  also 
i  Cor.  xv.  5,  &c. 

14.  afterward  he  was  manifested  unto  the  eleven  them- 
selves. Only  at  this  stage,  after  he  had  shewn  himself  to  Mary, 
to  Peter,  and  to  two  disciples,  docs  he  manifest  himself  specially 
to  the  Apostolate  as  a  body. 


368  ST.  MARK   16.  15,16 

themselves  as  they  sat  at  meat ;  and  he  upbraided  them 
with  their  unbelief  and  hardness  of  heart,  because  they 
believed  not  them  which  had  seen  him  after  he  was 

15  risen.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 

16  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation.     He  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;   but  he  that 

as  they  sat  at  meat.  This  agrees  with  the  more  detailed 
narrative  of  Luke,  which  states  that  Jesus  took  a  piece  of  broiled 
fish  and  ate  it  with  the  Eleven  ;  cf.  also  John  xxi.  9. 

upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief  and  hardness  of  heart. 
Their  despondency  had  sunk  into  a  settled  indisposition  to  believe 
out  of  which  they  had  to  be  roused.  Here  for  the  first  time 
definite  unbelief  is  charged  against  the  Apostles  themselves. 
Before  this  they  had  been  rebuked  for  the  smallness,  the  im- 
maturity, the  backwardness  and  unreadiness  of  their  faith  (Matt. 
vi.  30,  viii.  26,  xiv.  31,  xvi.  8  ;  Mark  iv.  40,  xi.  22 ;  Luke  xxii.  32). 
Formerly  it  had  been  said  of  them  that  they  had  their  *  hearts 
hardened1  (Mark  viii.  17).  Here  they  are  upbraided  with  a 
hardness  of  heart  of  a  pronounced  kind,  expressed  by  a  different 
term,  and  pointing  to  a  condition  of  mind  in  which  love  and  the 
tenderness  of  penitent  feeling  die  out.  Luke  tells  us  that  the 
Eleven  were  '  terrified  and  affrighted '  by  this  manifestation,  and 
that  the  Lord  sought  to  convince  them  that  he  was  no  spirit 
by  pointing  to  his  hands  and  feet  and  partaking  of  food  before 
them  (xxiv.  37-41). 

15.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation.  The  rebuke  passes 
into  a  commission.  During  our  Lord's  earthly  ministry  the 
commission  of  the  Twelve  had  been  limited  to  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  Gentiles  and  Samaritans  being  both  ex- 
cluded (Matt.  x.  5,  6).  Indications  of  the  world-wide  extension 
which  the  Gospel  was  to  have  in  the  future,  however,  had  also 
been  given  (Matt.  xxvi.  13;  Mark  xiv.  9).  The  commission  to 
the  Apostles  obtains  now  its  corresponding  enlargement.  John 
records  the  Lord's  breathing  on  the  Eleven,  bidding  them  receive 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  giving  them  powers  of  order  and  discipline  in 
his  Church  (xx.  22,  23). 

16.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved. 
Baptism  is  thus  coupled  with  belief,  acceptance  of  the  outward 
rite  with  the  profession  of  faith.  Everywhere  in  the  N.  T.,  in 
Gospels  and  in  Epistles,  belief  or  faith  is  connected  with  salvation 
and  made  its  condition.  Baptism  has  a  place  in  that  connexion, 
but  only  a  secondary  place ;  cf.  on  the  one  hand,  1  Pet.  iii.  21  ; 
Titus  iii.  5,  and  on  the  other,  John  iv.  1,  2 ;  1  Cor.  i.  14-17,  &c. 


ST.  MARK   1G.   if,  18  369 

disbelieveth  shall  he  condemned.     And  these  signs  shall  17 
follow  them  that  believe :    in  my  name  shall  they  cast 
out  devils ;    they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues ;    they  18 
shall  take  up  serpents,  and  if  they  drink  any   deadly 
thing,  it  shall  in  no  wise  hurt  them ;  they  shall  lay  hands 
on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover. 

17.  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe.  The 
promise  has  the  widest  extension — to  all  believers,  not  only  to 
teachers  or  to  the  Eleven.  The  powers  referred  to  were  to 
be  '  signs,'  confirming  their  word  and  work,  assuring  themselves 
also  in  their  faith.     See  1  Cor.  xii.  28-30,  xiv.  22. 

in  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils  (or,  'demons'). 
This  power  has  already  been  bestowed  on  the  Apostles  (vi.  13) 
and  the  Seventy  (Luke  x.  17).  Others,  also,  who  were  not 
declared  disciples  of  Jesus,  had  been  seen  casting  out  demons  in 
his  name  (Mark  ix.  38).  The  Book  of  Acts  records  the  exercise 
of  this  power  by  Philip  in  Samaria  (viii.  7)  and  Paul  at  Philippi 
and  Ephesus  (xvi.  18,  xix.  11,  16). 

they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues.  As  is  noticed  in  the 
margin  of  the  R.V.  the  word  'new,'  which  is  of  considerable 
importance  in  the  interpretation  of  the  gift  in  question,  is  of  some- 
what uncertain  authority.  This  speaking  with  tongues,  with  which 
some  difficult  questions  are  connected,  is  first  heard  of  as  in 
actual  exercise  in  the  report  of  the  events  of  the  great  day  of 
Pentecost  (Acts  ii.  4-1 1),  and  again  in  the  cases  of  the  men  sent 
by  Cornelius  to  Peter  (Acts  x.  46),  and  the  disciples  at  Ephesus 
(Acts  xix.  6).  It  is  dealt  with  more  particularly  by  Paul  in 
1  Corinthians  (xii.  28,  xiv.).  It  is  mentioned  also  in  ancient 
Christian  literature  as  prevailing  towards  the  end  of  the  second 
century  (Euseb.,  Eccles.  Hist.  v.  7). 

18.  shall  take  up  serpents.  Compare  the  case  of  Paul  at  the 
island  called  Melita  (Acts  xxviii.  5  .  Jesus  had  previously  given 
the  Seventy  '  authority  to  tread  upon  serpents  and  scorpions ' 
(Luke  x.  19% 

if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  in  no  wise  hurt 
them.  Nothing  of  this  kind  is  recorded  in  the  N.T.  Eusebius, 
the  ancient  Church  historian,  reports  instances  of  this  immunity 
in  the  case  of  St.  John  and  Barsabas  surnamed  Justus. 

they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick.  The  Apostles  received 
the  power  of  healing  the  sick  from  Jesus  during  his  ministry  (e.  g. 
vi.  13).  The  'gifts  of  healing'  are  referred  to  both  b}'  James 
(v.  14,  15)  and  by  Paul  '\  Cor.  xii.  9.  28).  In  the  Book  of  Acts, 
too,  we  see  Peter  healing  the  lame  man  at  the  temple  gate  (iii.  7), 
and  Paul  restoring  Publius  (xxviii.  8). 

Bb 


37©  ST.  MARK  16.  19 

19      So  then  the  Lord  Jesus,  after  he  had  spoken  unto 
them,  was  received  up  into  heaven,  and  sat  down  at  the 

The  Appearances  of  the  Risen  Lord.  These  had  at  least  two  great 
purposes,  namely,  to  assure  the  disciples  of  the  reality  of  the 
Resurrection  and  the  personal  identity  of  their  Lord,  and  to  fur- 
nish opportunities  for  preparing  them  for  their  future  ministry 
by  instructing  them  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom.  None  of  the 
Evangelists  gives  more  than  a  selection  of  these  manifestations, 
and  it  is  not  eas}^  to  determine,  therefore,  either  their  number  or 
their  order.  They  are  usually  said  to  be  nine  ;  or,  with  the 
addition  of  that  to  James  (i  Cor.  xv.  7),  ten.  Various  arrangements 
of  them  have  been  proposed.  One  of  the  best  gives  this  order — 
(i)  To  Mary  Magdalene  ;  (2)  to  the  other  women  ;  (3)  to  the  two 
disciples  at  Emmaus  ;  (4)  to  Peter  ;  (5)  to  the  Eleven  ;  (6)  to  the 
Eleven  again  ;  (7)  at  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (John  xxi.  1)  ;  (8)  to  the 
five  hundred  ;  (9)  to  James  ;  (10)  on  the  mount  of  Olives.  Com- 
paring the  several  accounts,  embracing  those  in  Acts  and  t  Cor. 
xv,  we  conclude  that  five  of  the  appearances  took  place  on  the 
da3r  of  the  Resurrection,  one  on  the  Sunday  following,  two  at 
a  later  period,  one  at  a  time  unknown  (James),  and  one  when 
he  ascended.  Thus  Jerusalem  was  the  scene  of  five  or  six  (the 
latter  if  we  assign  that  to  James  to  the  chVy),  Emmaus  of  one, 
Galilee  of  two,  and  the  mount  of  Olives  of  one. 

xvi.  19,  20.  The  Ascension  :  cf.  Luke  xxiv.  53  ;  Acts  i.  3-12  ; 
see  also  Rom.  viii.  34  ;    Heb.  viii.  1 ;  1  Pet.  iii.  22. 

19.  So  then  the  Lord  Jesus.  This  designation  '  the  Lord  Jesus ' 
occurs  frequently  in  Acts,  and  is  used  at  times  by  Paul  (1  Cor. 
xi.  23).  This  is  the  only  distinct  occurrence  of  it  in  the  Gospels, 
with  the  possible  exception  of  the  case  in  Luke  xxiv.  3.  (See 
R.  V.  margin.) 

after  he  had  spoken  unto  them.  The  note  of  time  is 
indefinite.  It  does  not  necessarily  mean,  however,  immediately 
after  he  had  spoken  the  words  recorded  in  the  preceding  verses. 
It  means  generally  after  Jesus  had  discoursed  to  his  disciples. 
Some  think  that,  looking  to  the  character  and  trend  of  this 
Appendix,  we  may  take  it  to  mean  '  after  the  series  of  interviews 
with  the  Eleven,  of  which  a  specimen  has  been  given.'  (So  Swete.) 
was  received  up  into  heaven.  This  is  the  only  occurrence 
in  the  Gospels  of  the  word  here  rendered  '  received  up.'  It  is 
used  again  of  the  Ascension  in  Acts  i.  2,  ir,  22;  1  Tim.  iii.  16. 
In  the  passages  in  Acts  it  is  rendered  '  taken  up '  in  the  A.  V. 
In  the  fuller  accounts  given  in  the  Third  Gospel  we  are  told  how 
Jesus  led  the  disciples  out 'until  they  were  over  against  Bethany1 ; 
how  he  lifted  up  his  hands  to  bless  them  ;  and  how,  while  he  was 
in  the  act  of  blessing  them,  he  'parted  from  them  and  was  carried 


ST.   MARK   16.   20  371 

right  hand  of  God.     And  they  went  forth,  and  preached  20 
everywhere,  the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming 
the  word  by  the  signs  that  followed.     Amen. 


up  into  heaven'  Luke  xxiv.  50,  51).  The  narrative  of  the  Book 
of  Acts  shews  us  further  how  the  Apostles  interrogated  their  Lord 
about  the  time  when  he  should  restore  the  kingdom,  and  how, 
when  he  had  answered  their  question  and  had  given  them  his 
final  commission,  '  as  they  were  looking,  he  was  taken  up  ;  and 
a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight '  (i.  6-8). 

and  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  This  is  peculiar  to 
Mark.  Christ's  session  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  in  the  place  of 
honour  and  authority  and  power,  is  a  frequent  subject  of  N.T. 
teaching,  and  not  b}'  one  writer  only,  but  by  most  (Acts  vii.  55  ; 
Rom.  viii.  34  ;  Eph.  i.  20  ;  Col.  iii.  1  ;  Heb.  i.  3.  viii.  1,  ix.  12, 
xii.  2  ;   1  Pet.  iii.  22  ;  Rev.  iii.  21). 

20.  they  went  forth.  Not  at  once,  however,  as  the  words,  il 
they  stood  alone,  might  mean.  From  the  Book  of  Acts  we  learn 
that  they  were  instructed  to  tarry  in  Jerusalem  until  they  should 
receive  'the  promise  of  the  Father,'  that  is  to  say,  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  that  they  did  wait  as  they  had  been  told  (Acts  i. 
4,  12,  &c). 

preached  everywhere.  Faithful  to  their  commission  and  in 
accordance  with  the  universal  extension  which  the  Lord  had 
stated  to  be  destined  for  his  Gospel. 

the  Lord  working"  with  them.  This,  too,  is  peculiar  to 
Mark. 

confirming*  the  word.  This  term  <  confirming'  is  also  peculiar 
to  Mark  here,  and  occurs  nowhere  else  in  the  Gospels.  It  is  used 
repeatedly,  however,  in  the  Epistles  Rom.  xv.  8  ;  1  Cor.  i.  8  ; 
2  Cor.  i.  2i  ;  Col.  ii.  7  ;  Heb.  ii.  3,  xiii.  9  . 

toy  the  signs  that  followed.  The  'signs,'  therefore,  were 
the  gift  of  the  Ascended  Lord,  the  results  of  the  ministry  which 
he  continues  in  heaven,  tokens  of  his  abiding  work  and  his  con- 
tinuous interest  in  his  followers. 

The  A>.cen*ioii.  Jesus  had  spoken  repeatedly  of  his  departure, 
and  had  explained  to  his  disciples  its  necessity  or  expediency. 
He  had  given  them  to  understand  that  unless  he  went  away  the 
Holy  Spirit  could  not  come  to  them,  and  he  had  shewn  them  how 
great  their  loss  in  that  case  would  be  by  disclosing  to  them  the 
ministries  which  the  Holy  Ghost  was  to  discharge  when  sent  into 
the  world  (John  xvi.  5-1 1\  The  event  of  the  Ascension  itself, 
however,  occupies  a  small  place  in  the  Gospel  records.  Matthew 
and  John  give  no  distinct  report  of  it.  Only  Mark  and  Luke 
relate    the  circumstances.      Even   in   their  case  the   narrative  is 

B  b   2 


372  ST.  MARK   16.  20 

brief.  A  fuller  account  of  it  is  found,  however,  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.  The  Gospels  report  the  story  of  our  Lord's  ministry  on 
earth.  The  Book  of  Acts  reports  the  story  of  his  ministry  in 
heaven  discharged  through  his  Apostles,  and  it  begins  appro- 
priately with  the  Ascension.  The  event  is  also  referred  to  now  and 
again  elsewhere  in  the  N.  T.  (Eph.  iv.  8,  9 ;  1  Pet.  iii.  22,  &c.). 
Various  questions  have  been  raised  in  connexion  with  the  event 
and  with  the  reports  of  it.  It  has  been  asked,  e.g.,  whether  it 
is  placed  in  the  same  relation  to  the  Resurrection  in  the  several 
narratives  of  it  which  have  come  down  to  us  in  the  canonical 
writings.  It  has  been  thought  by  many  that  the  appendix  to 
Mark's  Gospel  leaves  no  room  for  the  interval  of  forty  days  which 
is  spoken  of  in  the  Book  of  Acts,  but  represents  the  Ascension  as 
following  immediately  on  the  Resurrection.  Some  have  met  the 
difficulty  created  by  this  apparent  discrepancy  in  the  narratives 
by  supposing  that  there  were  several  Ascensions,  our  Lord's  exis- 
tence during  the  forty  days  consisting  in  a  series  of  goings  and 
comings.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  take  the  brief,  summary  state- 
ment in  the  appendix  to  the  Second  Gospel  to  mean  that  the 
Lord's  return  to  heaven  took  place  immediately  after  he  rose  from 
the  dead  or  immediately  after  he  spoke  the  words  to  the  Eleven 
which  are  recorded  in  xvi.  14-18.  There  are  many  things  in 
the  Gospel  narratives  to  make  us  cautious  in  supposing  that  events 
which  are  reported  one  after  another  without  any  break  actually 
took  place  in  immediate  historical  succession. 

Another  question  which  has  been  largely  discussed  concerns 
the  scene  of  the  Ascension.  The  traditional  site  is  that  of  the 
present  Church  of  the  Ascension.  '  In  the  centre  of  the  chapel,' 
says  Baedeker,  'which  is  octagonal  in  shape  with  a  small  dome, 
is  the  spot  where  Christ  is  said  to  have  ascended.'  This  is  on  the 
mount  of  Olives,  and  the  tradition  regarding  it  is  a  very  ancient 
one — as  old  as  the  third  century  at  least.  But  this  site  is  open  to 
the  serious  objection  that  it  is  only  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
city  wall,  whereas  it  is  explicitly  stated  in  the  Book  of  Acts  that 
the  point  from  which  the  witnesses  of  the  Ascension  returned 
was  'a  sabbath  day's  journey  off'  (i.  12).  Other  sites,  therefore, 
have  been  suggested,  especially  one  on  a  height  above  Bethany, 
about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  footpath  between  that  village  and 
Jerusalem.  The  difficulty  which  seemed  to  many  to  be  created  by 
the  reading  of  the  A.  V.,  'as  far  as  to  Bethany'  (Luke  xxiv.  50), 
which  would  mean  a  distance  of  more  than  a  sabbath  day's 
journey,  is  removed  by  the  better  reading  of  the  R. V.  'over 
against  Bethany.'  It  is  impossible  to  determine  the  scene  of  the 
Ascension,  however,  more  particularly  than  that  it  was  on  one  of 
the  heights  far  up  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  overhanging  Bethany 
and  facing  to  the  east. 


INDEX 


[The  Numerals  refer  to  the  Pages.] 


Abiathar,  146. 

Abomination  of  desolation,  298. 
Agony  in  the  garden,  325,  331. 
Alabaster  cruse,  311. 
Alexander,  son  of  Simon,  350. 
Andrews,  S.  J.,  262,  341,  362, 

367- 
Annas,  334. 
Anointing,  313. 
Appearances  of  the  Risen  Lord, 

37o. 
Appendix  to  Mark's  Gospel,  30, 

365. 
Arimathaea,  359. 
Aristion,  32. 
Ascension  of  Jesus,  371. 

—  scene  of,  372. 
Atonement,  258. 
Augustine,  44. 

Baedeker,  K.,  372. 
Baptism.  198  368. 

—  baptized  with,  255. 

—  John's,  115. 

—  method  of,  112. 

—  of  Jesus,  116,  117. 
Barabbas,  346. 
Baskets,  193,  208,  211. 
Beelzebub,  153. 
Bethany,  262. 
Bethphagc,  262. 
Bethsaida,  193,  194,  212. 
Birks,  T.  R.,  20. 
Blasphemy,  against  Holy  Spirit, 

155- 

—  against  Son  of  man.  155. 
Blessed,  Son  of  the,  337. 
Blindness.  2T2. 
Brethren  of  Jesus,  156. 


Caesarea  Philippi,  215. 

Caiaphas,  334. 

Calvary,  351. 

Camel  and  needle's  eye,  249. 

Capernaum,  128. 

Chagiga,  320. 

Chamscth,    316,  319. 

Chazzan.  295. 

Chief  places,  ^88. 

Chief  priests,  217. 

Christ,  use  of  term,  107,  238. 

Christian,  297. 

Chrysostom,  22. 

Clarke,  Prof.  W.  W.,  233. 

Clement,  10,  21,  24,  26.  31,  41, 

Clouds,  304. 

Cock-crowing,  325. 

Coming  of  Christ,  220. 

Cunder,  Col.,  109. 

Corban,  199. 

Covenant,  321. 

Cries  from  the  Cross.  354,  355. 

Cross,  219. 

—  bearing  of,  351. 

—  cries  from  the,  354,  355. 

—  forms  of,  353. 
Cup,  255. 


Dalmanutha,  209. 
Darkness  over  the  land,  354. 
Dead,  anointing  of,  313. 
Decapolis,  171. 
Delitzsch,  Franz,  268. 
Demon,  history  of  word,  133. 
Demoniacal  possession,  132. 
Denarius,  191,  290. 
Desolation,  abomination  of,  298. 
Divorce,  243,  244. 


374 


ST.   MARK 


Divorcement,  bill  of,  242. 
Dogs,  Eastern,  204. 

Edersheim,    Dr.    J.,    289,    290, 

318,  352. 
End,  discourse  on,  308. 
Elect,  304. 

Election,  the  Divine,  256,  301. 
Emraaus,  367. 

Enoch,  Book  of,  106,  228,  2^0. 
Epiphanius,  20,  43. 
Eschatological  discourse,  308. 
Esdras,  IV*,  240. 
Eternal  life,  246,  251. 
Eternal  sin,  155. 
Eusebius    of  Caesarea,    10,    20. 

26,  42,  43?  176,  i8r,  299,  369 

False  Christs,  294.  301. 

—  prophets,  294,  301. 
Farrar,  Archdeacon.  319. 
Father,  as  name  of  God,  273. 
Feedings  of  5,000   and   4.000. 

207. 
Fig-tree,  268. 
Fire,  unquenchable,  240. 
Flesh,  the,  329. 

Galilean  dialect,  342. 
Galilee,  land  of,  125. 

—  sea  of,  126. 
Gehenna,  239. 

Geikie,  Dr.    Cunningham,   174, 

265. 
Gennesaret,  lake  of,  118. 

—  plain  of,  158,  196. 
Gerasenes,  country  of,  166. 
Gethsemane,  326. 
Golgotha,  351. 

Gospel,  use  of  word,  106. 
Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  176,  339. 

Hallel,  320. 

Heart,  196. 

Hedge,  275. 

Hell,  239. 

Hem  of  garment,  175. 


Henry,  Matthew,  159. 
Hernias,  5. 
Hermon,  223. 
Herod  Antipas,  184. 

—  Philip,  185. 
Herodians,  149,  185. 
Herodias,  185,  278. 
Holy  One  of  God,  131. 
Holy  Spirit,  115. 

—  blasphemy  against,  155. 

—  descent  of  on  Jesus,  118. 

—  in  the  O.  T.,  296,  297. 
Horace,  312. 
Hosanna,  266. 

Idumaea.  150. 

Immortality,  O.  T.  doctrine  of, 

284. 
Irenaeus,  5,  10,  21,  26,  40. 
Iscariot,  152. 

J  aims,  173. 
Jericho,  259. 
Jerome,  20,  24,  44. 
Jesus,  Agony  of,  326. 

—  Appearances  of,  370. 

—  Ascension  of,  371,  372. 

—  Baptism  of,  116,  117. 

—  Betrayal  of,  331. 

—  brethren  of,  156. 

—  Burial  of,  360. 

—  Crucifixion  of,  351. 

—  Death  of,  357. 

—  descent  of  Spirit  on,  118. 

—  designations  of,  107. 

—  limitations  of  knowledge  in, 
306. 

—  Resurrection  of,  363. 

—  Session  of,  371. 

—  sisters  of.  181. 

—  Temptation  of,  119,  120. 

—  Transfiguration  of,  222.  225. 
John  the  Baptist,  185,  188. 
Jones,  Sir  William,  311. 
Jordan,  112. 

Joseph  of  Arimatha:a,  359. 
Josephus,    125,    135,    185,   186, 


INDEX 


375 


19b.  215,  223.  244,  260,  281, 
282.  290,  292,  294,  298,  299, 
300,  308,  344,  348,  350. 

Judas  Iscariot,  152. 

—  treachery  of,  315. 

Justin  Martyr,  5,  40,  180, 
297. 

Keim,  Theodor,  351. 
King  of  the  Jews,  344. 
King,  the  title  of,  183. 
Kingdom  of  God,  124. 

Laidlaw,  Dr.  John,  219. 
Leaven,  210. 
Legion,  169. 
Leprosy,  136. 
Levi,  141. 
Levirate  Law,  282. 
Life,  eternal,  246,  251. 
Lightfoot,  Dr.  John.  174,  290. 

—  Bishop,  327. 
Locusts,  113. 

Lord's  Supper.  320,  322,  323. 
Lynch,  Narrative,  112. 

Macgrcgor,  J..  Rob  Roy  on  the 

Jordan,  170. 
Macheerus,  185. 
Maclear,  G.  F.,  125,  234 
Mark,  ancient  testimonies,  39. 

—  authorship,  6. 

—  characteristics,  32. 

—  compass  and  contents,  12. 

—  date,  25. 

—  destination,  23. 

—  Gospel  of,  change  qf  senti- 
ment regarding,  3. 

—  integrity,  29. 

—  language  and  style,  18. 

—  literature,  45. 

—  names  of,  6. 

—  object  and  aim.  27. 

—  Peter's  hernieneut,  9. 
place  in  ancient  Church,.  4. 
plan,  t  \. 

—  references  to  in  N.  T.,  6. 


Mark,     references     to     outside 
N.T.,8. 

—  relation     to     Matthew    and 
Luke,  15. 

—  relation  to  Peter,  9. 

—  relations  to  Peterand  Paul,  8. 

—  sources,  12. 

Mary  Magdalene.  357,  365. 

—  mother  of  James,  357. 
Matthew,  142. 

Medical  prescriptions,  1  74. 
Meyer,  H.  A.  W.,  108,  157,  213. 

24°,  273,  338. 
Mill-stone,  239. 
Mite,  290. 

Money-changers.  269. 
Morrison,  Dr.  J.,  135.  143. 
Most  High  God,  168. 
Mount  Hermon,  223. 

—  of  Olives,  263. 

—  Tabor,  222. 
Mourning.  Oriental.  177. 
Mustard.  163. 
Mystery,  159. 

Name,  use  of  term,  236. 

Nazareth,  116. 
;    —  visit  of  Jesus  to,  179. 
I    Needle's  eye,  249. 
I    Nescience  of  Jesus,  306. 

Nets,  127. 

Nicodemus,  35,  360. 

—  Gospel  of,  j  76,  339. 

Oil,  anointing  with,  183. 
j    Olives,  mount  of,  263. 
1    Origen,  21,  26,  42. 

j    Palace,  343. 

!    Papias,  9,  39,  40. 

Parable,  use  of  term,  154. 

Paronsia,  304. 

Passover,  308. 
-  site  of  room  of,  323. 

Penny,  191,  279.  290. 

Pharisees.  278. 
I    Physicians.  Jewish,  174. 


376 


ST.  MARK 


Pilate.  343. 

Pliny,  311. 

Plumptre,  E.  H.,  169. 

Plutarch,  351. 

Polycarp,  5,  297. 

Porter,  J.  Leslie,  263. 

Possession,  demoniacal,  132. 

Praetorium,  343.  348. 

Prayer,  posture  in,  273. 

Predestination,  the  Divine,  256. 

Preparation,  the,  358. 

Procurator,  345. 

Publican,  142,  143. 

Purging  of  Temple,  268,  271. 

Ransom,  257. 
Repentance,  111. 
Resurrection,  doctrine  of,  282, 

284. 
Risen  Lord,  appearances  of  the, 

370- 
Robinson,     Ed.,     Biblical    Re- 
searches, 158,  263. 

—  Harmony,  340. 
Rufus,  350. 

Sabbath,  146. 
Sacrifice,  258. 
Sadducees,  281. 
Salome,  185,  358. 
Salome's  request,  253. 
Salt,  241. 

Salted  with  fire,  240. 
Satan,  121,  154. 
Schaff,  Philip,  263. 
SchOttgen,  140. 
Scourging,  348. 
Scribes,  130,  217. 
Second  Advent,  304,  307. 
Seneca,  339. 
Shewbread,  146. 
Sibylline  Oracles,  240. 
Sidon,  203. 

Sign  from  heaven,  209. 
Simon  of  Cyrene,  350. 

—  the  leper,  311. 
Sin,  eternal,  155. 


Sisters  of  Jesus,  181. 
Smith,  Prof.  G.  Adam,  112. 
Soldier  of  the  guard,  188. 
Son  of  David,  260,  287,  288. 

—  of  God,  107. 

—  of  Man,  227. 

—  of  Most  High  God,  168. 

—  of  the  Blessed,  337. 
Sop,  319. 

Soul,  219. 
Spikenard,  311. 
Spirit,  329. 

—  blasphemy  against,  155. 

—  descent  of  on  Jesus,  118. 

—  the  Holy,  115,  296,  297. 
Spitting,  339. 

Spittle,  use  of,  206. 

Stanley,   Dean,   215,  263,  275, 

326. 
Swete,  Dr.  H.  B.,  131,  148, 181, 

194,  224,  245,  258,  284,  307, 

317,  327,  334,  349- 
Swine,  keeping  of,  169. 
Synagogue,  129,  295. 
Syrophcenician,  203. 

Tabor,  222. 

Tacitus,  344. 

Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 

112,  301. 
Temple,  purging  of,  268,  271. 
Temptation  of  Jesus,  119,  120. 
Tertullian,  41,  297. 
Tetrarch,  183. 
Thorns,  158. 
Tower,  276. 

Tradition  of  the  elders,  198. 
Transfiguration  of  Jesus,  222, 

225. 
Travail,  294. 
Treachery  of  Judas,  315. 
Treasury,  289. 
Trench,  Archbishop,  213,  2r4, 

274. 
Tribute,  279. 
Tristram.  Canon  H.B.,  114.  123, 

185. 


INDEX 


377 


Twelve  Apostles,  the  Teaching  of 

the,  1 12,  30 r. 
Twelve,  choice  of  the    151. 
Tyre,  202. 

Unleavened  bread,  316. 
Feast  of,  309. 

Van  Lennep,  H.  J.,  177. 
Veil  of  temple,  356. 
Via  Dolorosa,  350. 
Vinegar,  355. 
Vineyard,  275. 


Warren,  Sir  C,  118. 
Washings,  ceremonial,  198. 
Washing  of  hands,  347. 
Watches,  195. 
Westcott,  Bishop,  344. 
Wilderness  of  Judaea,  in,  120. 
Wilson,  Sir  C,  351. 
Wine-press,  276. 
Women  at  Sepulchre.  358,  361. 
World  to  come,  251. 

Zealots,  346. 
Zebedee,  253. 
Zidon,  203. 


OXFORD:      HORACE    HART 
PRINTER   TO  THE    UNIVERSITY 


BS491.N53  41 

St.  Mark :  introduction. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00059  2396 


